Also improving daily appears to be rookie Saints receiver Brandin Cooks, who was one of the standout performers of the scrimmage Saturday. Cooks displayed the traits – speed, route-running versatility, sticky hands, agility and football IQ – that the Saints suspected they were getting when they moved up in the first round to take him with the No. 20 overall pick.
He showed the speed on a deep catch that saw him tackled a couple of yards from the goal line, and the agility when he caught a pass on the right sideline, juked a defender off the field and streaked to the end zone.
“He’s explosive and he’s a guy that, if you can get the ball to him in space, he has the chance to give you some run after the catch,” HC Sean Payton said. “And he did that. We’ve just got to keep working with him on a lot of the nuances and the specifics with the passing game. But it was good to see him make a few plays.
Cooks is ranked 44th on our WR list with teammate Kenny Stills right in front of him at 43rd. Right now, both project for 120 fantasy points this year, but Stills has an ADP of the 12th round to Cook's 10th. Stills was more of a boom-or-bust player in 2013 so it remains to be seen if he continues that trend, and if Cooks can be more consistent. In an offense like New Orleans, both certainly have their value but may also be competing for targets.
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