When it comes to pass protection in football, Jonathan Cooper of North Carolina may be one of the best from the 2013 NFL Draft and considering how difficult it can be to find a solid guard–the Tar Heels star seems like he’s certainly worth the risk.
The Tar Heels football team may not have the same reputation as the basketball team, but the one thing that did stand out from the 2012 season is they averaged 193.8 rushing yards per game and Cooper’s protection played a key factor in helping that happen. As long as he continues to bulk up and put on some additional weight, Cooper should turn out to be a solid pick for the 2013 season as a rookie.
It’s never easy to find a guard early on in the draft, but Cooper seems to have the type of potential that will certainly pay off in the long run by playing at the NFL level. Teams love a lineman that can make a big impact in the ground game by opening up holes for running backs to burst through and that’s exactly what Cooper brings to the table after a steller college career at North Carolina.
This year’s draft class has a few names that standout when it comes to the offensive line, but Cooper could easily become the most popular one to keep an eye on heading into his rookie season if his career with the Tar Heels is any indication of what to expect.
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