Each year I do a deep dive on mid-late round prospects and find some “my guys”, players I do not expect to go within the first three rounds, yet think are fully capable of being a solid NFL player, and “steal”, for the team that drafts them. In the first edition of the 2024 “Steal” prospects, I’ll be covering Jacob Cowing, a two-year Arizona Wildcat following a stint at UTEP.
Name: Jacob Cowing
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Arizona
Height: 5080
Weight: 168
Hand: 9″
Wingspan: 29 1/4″
Introduction: After three very productive years at UTEP, Cowing transferred to the University of Arizona, and kept up his solid play even against greater competition. He finished his college career with a spectacular receiving line of 7-152-2 against Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl. His 4,477 receiving yards are the most among active FBS players, and his 13 TD catches were good for second in the Pac-12, only behind Troy Franklin of Oregon (14).
Strengths:
- Quick off the line of scrimmage, shoots out of a cannon
- Despite his smaller stature, I found his contested catch ability to be more than adequate
- Not afraid to stick his nose in on blocks
- Shifty after the catch, ability to break/avoid tackles
- Great at “run-offs”, takes defenders away from the play or into blockers
Areas for development:
- Can be held up in press coverage
- Blocks can get away from his sometimes
- Much better at working North-South than East-West
- A lot of his production was from screens, didn’t have to rely on getting open as much as other WR’s
Draft Projection: Round 4-5
Outlook: Despite coming in at THREE inches smaller than displayed on the team website, Cowing’s presence can be huge. He’s not the type of receiver that will take over a game by himself, but if schemed up properly, he’s a gadget guy for a great offensive mind. As mentioned, Arizona used him in screens often, and I expect that same treatment in the NFL. He was used sparingly on special teams this year, and had just 7 punt returns before this season, so his returning ability is relatively unknown (maybe an NFL team taps into that?).
For more coverage on Jacob Cowing, along with other “Steal” prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class, be sure to follow NFL Draft Lounge. As always, you can also find us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
