Jared Cook

Once known for an annual cycle of hype followed by disappointment, Cook is now coming off back-to-back seasons in which he outperformed his draft cost. The late-career transition from disappointment to pleasant surprise has partially been a matter of team context in Oakland and now New Orleans, with the first locale bringing prolific volume and the second offering frequent TD opportunities. Cook also seems to have become better after the catch, with his YAC averages the last two seasons (5.9, 5.4) equaling or besting his marks from every year since 2011. Drops remain a source of frustration, but it's a tolerable price for a TE who averages 12-plus YPC year after year, especially after he added career highs for YPT and TDs in 2019. The problem, of course, is that Cook saw just 65 targets in 14 games, relying on efficiency that's probably unsustainable long term, even in a Drew Brees-Sean Payton offense. The show will continue to run through Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, while offseason addition Emmanuel Sanders is a threat to overtake Cook as the third option. What we're left with is a tight end reliant on long gains and touchdowns, in contrast to the PPR stalwarts that usually define the middle ranks of the position.

For the better part of a decade, Cook was the sleeper version of Lucy Van Pelt, holding out a football for fantasy owners to kick. The tight end spent several years as a sleeper darling in the fantasy community, putting forth every trope you could think of. Improved conditioning, new team, better teammates, new coaching. Cook generally let us down in Tennessee, sunk us in St. Louis, flopped in Green Bay and had a pedestrian first year in Oakland. No one had a Cook-centric strategic hook entering 2018. And yet, somehow, Cook smashed in his second Oakland year, making beautiful music with Derek Carr and Jon Gruden. Cook fashioned the highest catch rate of his career, and set career highs in all the key counting stats. And while the Raiders leaned on Cook, it's not like they went ballistic with the targets - 101 is a healthy total, but four tight ends saw more. So now what for 2019? Cook signed with the Saints, eschewing an intriguing offer from Gronkowski-mourning New England. If Cook could get it done with the dicey Oakland setup, why not in New Orleans too? Or is this just another replay of all those Van Pelt moments from earlier in the decade? There's plenty of plausible upside and downside scenarios to consider with this selection; too much upside not to slot Cook in the top 10, but too much history to label him a sure thing.

Some painful life experiences are universal. At some point we've all been spurned by a crush, or lost our candy or ice cream to an unfortunate drop. And the entire fantasy industry knows what it's like to bet on Jared Cook and lose. Exaggeration? Maybe just a slight one. Cook was an off-and-on buzz guy with the Titans and Rams, never fully panned out, and then his one Green Bay campaign was a total bust. It got to the point that Cook landed in Oakland last year with minimal expectations. Perhaps that was the frame he needed, because he bounced back in his age-30 season. His career-high 54 catches were 11th at the position and his 688 yards ranked seventh. He was light in the touchdown category, with just three targets (and no catches) inside the 10-yard line. Cook has 19 touchdowns on 357 career receptions, and he's never scored more than five times in a season. Some things simply aren't meant to be. You have our endorsement to consider Cook as a late best-ball depth play or an occasional streamer, but this is a tight end you flirt with, not one you marry.

To know Jared Cook is to be disappointed by Jared Cook. His yardage has dropped every year since 2013, and he's only scored four touchdowns in his last 42 games. That said, the Raiders are looking for additional options in the red zone, and perhaps Cook -- despite his underwhelming resume -- can help there. Oakland for some reason threw 22 red-zone targets at No. 3 WR Seth Roberts last year, for crying out loud. The Raiders also were disappointed by TE Clive Walford, who showed scarce improvement in his second year. And we should give Cook credit for squeezing out some fantasy relevance with the Rams from 2013 to 2015, back when that team's passing game was a kiss of death. Cook scored as the TE17 over that period, and only 12 tight ends outpaced him in yardage. A handy 12.6 YPC is also impressive for the position.

Cook was not in the Rams' travel plans to Los Angeles, released in February. He signed a one-year deal with the Packers, but it's uncertain if he has more to offer than the little he's shown throughout his career. Outside of a decent 2011 with Tennessee, he's been reliably mediocre. Bad quarterbacks and bad offenses in St. Louis contributed mightily to that, but even in Tennessee he caught only 61.5 percent of his targets. He never topped 60 percent with the Rams, posting a lowly 52 percent each of the last two seasons. He didn't even score last year, joining Marcedes Lewis (2011) and Lonnie Johnson (1996) as the only 75-target TE without a TD since targets started being tracked in 1991. He can't blame the QB this year, but how many targets he gets is another matter. Jordy Nelson is back to gobble up passes from Aaron Rodgers, and Cook will share TE with Richard Rodgers, who had 85 looks last year. Cook had elite skills as a rookie in 2009 with a 4.49 40 and 41-inch vertical. Entering his eighth season at 29, he might no longer measure up to those lofty heights but is still in the upper class considering his size (6-5, 254). The Packers hope to use that size as a big target down the middle as he stretches the field with his speed. Cook underwent minor foot surgery in May, but is expected to be ready for training camp.

Cook nearly matched his 2013 production last season, but it was only because of a career-high 99 targets as his efficiency nosedived. His yards per catch dropped by a full yard, and his yards per target was his lowest since his 15-target rookie season. While he led the team in receptions, his catch rate went from 59.3 percent to 52.5. The culprit was erratic quarterback play. An unintimidating wideout group didn't help Cook in coverage, either. And it got tougher when Brian Quick was lost to injury midseason, leaving only Cook and Kenny Britt as concerns for defensive gameplans. Quarterback should be much improved this season with the addition of Nick Foles. Cook's efficiency should at least bounce back, and perhaps his weekly production will become more consistent. The Rams did not upgrade at wide receiver, but a healthy Quick will help. With Britt and Quick on the outside, the 6-5, 254-pound Cook should find some holes over the middle to settle into. Backup Lance Kendricks is mainly used for blocking, but he does impose on Cook's goal-line work. Kendricks had five targets and three scores inside the 10-yard line last season, compared to four targets and one score for Cook.

Cook set a franchise record for receiving yards by a tight end last season, but in the fantasy world he was a one-week wonder. After totaling seven catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, he topped 50 yards once and scored just three touchdowns in the 15 games thereafter. Defenses learned quickly that the Rams' lackluster wideout corps held little threat and turned their focus to Cook. Losing Sam Bradford to a midseason knee injury compounded matters and this season he'll be catching passes from Shaun Hill. From Week 2 on, Cook's catch rate fell to 57.8 percent and his yards per target was just 7.2. That he led the team in receiving speaks to the ineffectiveness of the wideouts. At 6-5, 254, Cook has red-zone upside, and he has the speed to make plays downfield (nine catches of 20-plus yards). The Rams added Kenny Britt this offseason, and improvement among their young batch of receivers is expected. As such, Cook likely will see his targets decrease from last year's team-leading 86, but that could be offset by an improved catch rate and YPT with more room to operate. Lance Kendricks is the backup, but he's used more as a blocker and isn't a big threat to steal targets.

Underused in Tennessee, Cook re-joins coach Jeff Fisher and should have a bigger role in the Rams offense. Cook is explosive and agile, lining up in the slot on 57 percent of his plays last year. He is a strong vertical receiver who has the ability to make big plays – he had three catches of 40-plus yards and 20 of 20-plus over the last two seasons. While Cook had a three-year low 7.3 YPT, that can largely be blamed on erratic quarterback play. A shoulder injury cut Cook's season short in December, though he should be ready for training camp after undergoing surgery. He'll join incumbent Lance Kendricks who likely will be used more as a blocker, allowing Cook to run plenty of pass patterns. Given the $19 million in guaranteed money he received, Cook should have every opportunity to thrive in the St. Louis offense.

Cook came on strong toward the end of last season, nearly doubling his previous year’s receiving yards with 759. His three touchdowns were a blemish, but the Titans had only 37 red-zone drives, sixth-fewest in the league, giving Cook just one red-zone score. Cook uses his strength and speed to get open and is a dangerous threat after the catch. His two other touchdowns came on an 80-yard catch-and-run at Cleveland in Week 4 and on a 55-yard pass play Week 16 against Jacksonville in which he ran away from several defenders near mid-field. His 9.4 yards per target ranked second to Rob Gronkowski’s 10.7 among tight ends with at least 40 receptions and his 15.5 yards per reception was first. Cook’s biggest problem, though, is his inconsistency as it’s difficult to predict what he’ll do week-to-week. He totaled nine catches over a five-game span, including back-to-back shutouts in Weeks 13 and 14. During the final three games, however, he caught 21 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown. Capitalizing on his strong finish and getting more consistent targets in the passing game (especially in the red zone) are keys to an improved season for Cook.

Cook came on toward the end of last season, recording 15 catches for 196 yards and a touchdown over his final three games. After letting Bo Scaife walk, Cook becomes the clear-cut starter. Tennessee has raved about his athleticism since making him a 2009 third-round pick, and he’s even drawn comparisons to a young Jermichael Finley. Cook will have a veteran quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck throwing to him, which should keep him more involved in the passing game. While he may need to polish his route running, his strength and speed should be enough for him to create separation. Don’t be afraid to stash him on your bench and see how he develops.

Cook did not show much in his first professional year last year, catching just nine balls and none for touchdowns. He is a physical specimen whom the Titans have high expectations for as his career matures. Last year he was hidden behind a deep tightend roster, but he currently appears to be the backup in 2010 and could see a significant jump in reception numbers this year.

Cook has superior athletic talent and has the ability to be a playmaking tight end in the NFL. As a rookie, he will likely play behind Bo Scaife and possibly Alge Crumpler, but he may end up being a future starter for the Titans. He is fast and as a result has been splitting out as a receiver at times in minicamp.