What Caused Hyped NFL Draft Prospects Andrew Billings, Connor Cook to Fall?

The 2016 NFL draft was supposed to become an exciting memory for Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook and Baylor defensive lineman Andrew Billings. But after waiting two days without hearing their names, it might now be a memory they’d like to forget.

Every year, there are prospects who slide down the board for unknown reasons that leave us wondering why the NFL had such a dramatically different grade on them than the talent evaluators in the media. 

If we had a definitive answer as to why Cook and Billings are still on the board, their fall wouldn’t be such a shock. But we can to speculate on why NFL teams are skeptical of their ability to excel at the next level.

Why Cook Fell

There are two theories out there about what led to Cook’s fall, and it’s possible the answer is a combination of both. 

Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal suggested the quarterback’s slide could be injury-related:

Perhaps something in Cook’s shoulder was discovered. Didn’t see this coming. Teams usually reach for QBs. Teams are passing multiple times.

— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) April 30, 2016

Couch is referring to a shoulder injury Cook suffered late in the 2015 season. It kept him out of Michigan State’s game against Ohio State and lingered throughout the remainder of the campaign.  

Cook eventually threw at the combine in late February, so it was presumed his shoulder was fully healthy. But he wasn’t completely open about the injury this offseason. 

He claimed to be 100 percent during Michigan State’s playoff run and did not originally cite his shoulder as a reason for skipping the Senior Bowl in late January. Instead, Cook worked out with quarterback guru George Whitfield in San Diego, per Mike Griffith of MLive.com.

In February, however, Cook cited his shoulder as the reason for skipping the combine when speaking to Fox Sports. 

Was this just an excuse? Or was the shoulder injury genuinely continuing to bother him? Both explanations are plausible and could concern NFL teams.

The other explanation for Cook’s fall is his perceived lack of leadership in …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com