2015 Atlanta Falcons Potential Draft Pick Profile: RB David Cobb

The Atlanta Falcons' move to a zone-blocking scheme under new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan makes David Cobb look like a legitimate option for a starting back—on the surface. But if you dig down a bit deeper, Cobb would be nothing more than a power complement within the offense.

Cobb's lack of speed and lateral agility hurts his fit to be that featured back, and his upright style makes him susceptible to more injuries when he gets to the NFL. Power tailbacks are great to have if they can learn to catch out of the backfield and pass-block effectively, but Cobb hasn't done either well yet.

David Cobb

Running Back

University of Minnesota

Combine/Pro Day Measurements

Height: 5'10 7/8" Weight: 229 lbs

Arm Length: 31 5/8" Hand Measurement: 9 3/8"

40 yard dash: 4.73 sec. 10 yard split: 1.64 sec.

20 yard shuttle: 4.55 sec. Three-cone Drill: 7.01 sec. Bench Reps: 17 reps

Vertical Jump: 38.5" Broad Jump: 10'1"

Stats (from CFB Stats)

2014: 13 Games Played, 315 Carries, 1,629 Yards, 13 Touchdowns, 16 Catches, 162 Yards, 1-of-1 Passing (100.0 percent), 9 Yards, 3 Tackles

2013: 13 Games Played, 237 Carries, 1,202 Yards, 7 Touchdowns, 17 Catches, 174 Yards

2012: 5 Games Played, 1 Carry, 8 Yards, 1 Catch, 3 Yards

2011: 4 Games Played, 10 Carries, 57 Yards

Scouting Report

Strengths

The best part of Cobb's game comes from his balance and vision to find holes and attack them quickly. He's patient when he's waiting for holes to open on zone-stretch plays and can one-cut-and-go very effectively. He is a good scheme fit for Shanahan's one-cut-and-go scheme because of his vision.

As a pass-blocker, he's got the effort and willingness to be effective there as long as he continues to put work into his technique. He's also a willing receiver and an efficient screen-pass catcher who can turn a three-yard catch into a 10-yard one if he gets his hands on the ball.

Weaknesses

Cobb's physical tools leave a lot to be desired. Even though he has excellent size, he's a slower running back than Alfred Morris. He's also not very physical despite being a bigger back who will fight for yards. He's not a great receiver either, and his routes are questionable at best.

He doesn't have great lateral agility, and most of his long runs come because he finds a hole through which any running back would gain a lot of yards. He also has long-running issues with his hamstrings that would need to be addressed through pre-draft medical checks.

How does he fit the Comrade Filter?

Cobb is known as a hardworking team leader for the Golden Gophers and has been one of the mainstays in the offense for a couple of years. He's a volume back who's seen a ton of carries for a ton of yards and scores a solid amount of touchdowns.

As a senior graduate, he's also taken care of his academic responsibilities. The Falcons should love Cobb off the field and see him as an excellent fit for their locker room. He passes the Comrade Filter with flying colors, unless there's something that hasn't come to surface.

Overview

Cobb will be a good fit for a team who runs a zone-blocking scheme and is looking for a runner to provide some power to its game. He's not overly powerful but does have the ability to get those tougher yards. The problem with Cobb is that backs like him are a dime a dozen.

Sure, he's got talent, but so do a ton of other running backs in this year's draft. He's a "do everything well, but nothing great" kind of back. If Cobb didn't have the exceptional vision he has, he'd be doomed to a very-late-round pick.

How he would fit into the Falcons' plans

The Falcons would likely have to take Cobb in the third or fourth round to bring him on the roster. And while he would be a good addition to the team, there's nothing that says he would be an instant starter over Devonta Freeman or even Antone Smith.

What Cobb would bring is a true power style to a team that needs a powerful goal-line and short-yardage complement. Cobb's closest comparison is Mike Tolbert of the Carolina Panthers. He'll be a useful player to have on a roster and will stick for a while but likely won't start.

All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats, ESPN.com, CFBStats or NFL.com. All combine and pro day info is courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.

Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, college football, the NFL and the NFL draft. He's also a Draft Analyst for Pro Football Spot.

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