NFL Analysis
3/27/24
5 min read
Jacob Cowing 2024 NFL Draft: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Arizona WR
The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Jacob Cowing.
Jacob Cowing's 2024 NFL COMBINE RESULTS
- Height: 5'8"
- Weight: 168 pounds
- 40-yard dash: 4.38
- 10-yard split: 1.54
- Vertical jump: 36"
- Broad jump: 9'11"
Jacob Cowing 2024 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS
- Outstanding quickness and burst off the ball when he had free access. Explosive and sudden into vertical stem.
- Natural quickness as a route runner with snap to his breaks. Explosive out of breaks with burst and velocity.
- Consistently showed both route quickness and separation quickness at the top of route stem — sudden mover.
- Showed speed to run by college corners. A vertical dimension with the ability to take the top off the defense.
- Showed strong ability to track the deep ball and catch it without breaking down. Body control when needed.
- Flashed the ability to extend away from his frame and make tough catches. At times went up and got the ball.
- Made some tough catches in the middle of the field. Competitive attacking the ball knowing he would get hit.
- At his best on the move in the middle of the field with slants/crossers/overs/seams. Pivot and whip routes.
- Dangerous run-after-catch. Transitioned from receiver to runner seamlessly with burst and accelerating speed.
- 2023 – Explosive with the ball in his hands and effective on tunnel-bubble screens when he had room to accelerate.
- Showed an understanding of how to pace and tempo specific routes to attack both man and zone coverage.
WEAKNESSES
- Will teams see his size as a negative limiting deployment within NFL offense or is that not a factor (like Tank Dell)?
- Inconsistent hands with too many drops on routine catches. Needs to better secure the ball with his hands.
- At times aggressive attacking the ball, other times waited for the ball to get to him. Needs to be more assertive.
- Overall not a lot of physicality to his game. A space receiver who needs room to use his quickness and speed.
NFL TRANSITION
Cowing's 2021 tape at UTEP showed a small, explosive receiver whose game was built on quickness and speed. He was at his best running routes that allowed him to get the ball in space and on the move.
He was featured as the motion receiver in UTEP’s offense. That allowed him to get free access and explode off the ball into his vertical stem where his threat as a vertical receiver was most viable.
At Arizona in 2022 and 2023, Cowing was used differently within the context of the offense, predominantly running shorter timing routes and tunnel screens to take advantage of his explosive run-after-catch traits. There were still some vertical routes that showed his speed.
Cowing has outstanding natural quickness as a route runner, and he ran precise routes that created immediate separation giving the QB a defined read in the timing passing game. Keep in mind the evolution of the NFL passing game with more rhythm three-step drop and five-step drop timing throws with a greater emphasis on run after catch.
My sense is Cowing will likely be seen as a core slot receiver given his smaller size, but he can be much more than that given his explosive traits, and most NFL offensive coordinators will see him as a receiving weapon with multiple location and movement versatility. Is there a Tank Dell comparison to be made?
Other Notes
Cowing played 3 years at UTEP (his only FBS scholarship offer coming out of Maricopa HS) before transferring back home to Arizona. He had an outstanding junior season at UTEP with 69 catches for 1,354 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns, followed by an outstanding first season at Arizona. Cowing caught 175 passes in his two seasons at Arizona with 20 touchdowns.
In 2021, Cowing predominantly lined up in the slot in UTEP’s offense, with 88 of his 113 targets and 54 of his 69 receptions coming inside. Cowing was featured as the movement-motion receiver in UTEP’s offense. Cowing was featured on short in-breaking routes out of bunch and stack alignments and vertical wheel routes from the slot. He was also used in the screen game, where he could take advantage of his outstanding run-after-catch ability.
In 2022 at Arizona, 62 of Cowing’s 85 receptions came out of the slot. Cowing lined up in multiple splits at No. 2 and No. 3 in addition to being deployed as a motion receiver. There were snaps in which he aligned as the boundary X on the back side of trips and won on individual routes, both crossers and verticals. Cowing is a tough matchup as the inside slot receiver with his three-level traits. He is also effective on tunnel screens and jet sweeps with his accelerating speed and run-after-catch ability.
In 2023, 82 of Cowing’s 121 targets and 62 of his 90 receptions came out of the slot. He only averaged 7.9 yards per catch on those 62 slot receptions. Cowing was at times deployed as the motion receiver in the Arizona offense. His 35-yard TD versus Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl showed his vertical dimension and his 57-yard TD versus Oklahoma came on dig-crosser with an explosive run after the catch.
