Jacob Cowing Scouting Report
2024 NFL Draft Measurements
5’11” / 175 lbs.
40 Time: 4.40 (estimate)
Jacob Cowing Draft Profile
According to 247sports, Jacob Cowing is a former 2-star recruit from Maricopa, AZ. He attended Maricopa High School where he flew under the radar. Cowing was ranked as the 79th-best player in Arizona in the 2019 recruiting class. Some players ranked above him include Spencer Rattler, Bralen Trice, Kedon Slovis, and teammate Jordan Morgan. Unfortunately, Cowing graduated high school only receiving one Division I offer. That school is UTEP. Cowing went on to play for the Miners for 3 seasons before transferring to Arizona so he could be closer to his son Chase. In his first season at Arizona, he racked up 85 receptions for 1,034 yards and 7 TDs. Then this last season he racked up 90 receptions for 848 yards and 13 TDs. This includes a 4 TD game against USC.
Strengths
Release
Jacob Cowing is very good at quickly stemming his route directly off the snap. Regardless of his alignment, Cowing displays amazing quickness and elusiveness against soft coverage to get open below the opposing DB. He does so by running a short 3-4 yard route stem then quickly planting and sinking his hips to allow him to explode in another direction. At the top of his route stem, he also shows off his effective head fake which allows him to force the DB to flip their hips and leave him wide open as soon as he breaks.
Athleticism
As briefly mentioned above, Cowing is very quick at getting off the line. However, that is far from all that he can do. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he does an amazing job of finding holes in the defense and making defenders miss in open field. This allows him to rack up extra yards and help his team drive down the field. Additionally, Cowing is able to stop on a dime and change directions in the blink of an eye. This often makes opposing defenders miss and opens up the field for him to keep the play alive.
Vision
Something that I don’t see a lot of people talk about is how amazing his vision is. When running routes against zone coverage, he is amazing at finding a seam and sitting in that seam. This allows his QB to complete an easy pass but also gives him space to do what he does best… make defenders miss. I was also impressed with his ability to know when his QB is under pressure and work back to him. Little things like this make all the difference in the world for an offense.
Body Control
Cowing may be a small receiver when comparing him to the majority, however, he plays a lot taller than his measurements. His fluid mobility and athleticism when running routes allow him to adjust to balls outside of his frame. What impressed me the most was his ability to adjust to throws behind him and still carry a good amount of momentum with him.
Weaknesses
Frame/Strength
The biggest concern I have surrounding Cowing’s game is his lack of size. When lined up against press coverage, he does not have the necessary strength to fight through contact at the point of attack. This prevents him from quickly stemming his routes and gaining leverage on the opposing DB. If the ball is thrown his way, he struggles to make contested catches. His adequate strength also inhibits his ability to run block on the outside or down the field.
Concentration
As briefly mentioned above, Cowing struggles to consistently make contested catches. Part of this is due to his frame, however, it has more to do with his lack of ability to concentrate until he has possession of the ball. Often when watching his film, he would take his eye off the ball and turn upfield before he even completely caught it. This really took a toll on his efficiency and is probably the main reason why he isn’t higher on draft boards.
Final Thoughts on Jacob Cowing Scouting Report
Overall, I believe that Cowing will be a solid complimentary receiver for any team in the NFL. He has a very quick release off the line when the opposing DB doesn’t engage in contact. Cowing shouldn’t have to worry about this much in the NFL because he will often line up in the slot or as a Z receiver. He also has very good vision to find seams against zone coverage and work back to his QB when under pressure. However, if he does not work on consistently making concentrated catches, he will not be very reliable in the NFL.
Jacob Cowing NFL Comparison
Jacob Cowing Draft Stock
As of now, I have Cowing graded as a late 3rd round pick. I am unsure of where he will be by the time the draft rolls around. But, if he does well at the NFL Scouting Combine, he will likely be a 3rd round lock. However, if he underperforms then he will likely fall to the 4th round.
