Detroit Lions Draft 2017: Day Three Options to Consider
By Ash Thompson
Tarik Cohen, KR/PR/RB, North Carolina A&T
Tarik Cohen’s nickname is “the human joystick” he’s the kind of player than makes moves that look like you’re watching Madden. Not one of the newer games though. Madden 2002, where the juke move rocketed a player five yards to the left or right. Cohen’s only downside is that he’s 5’6″ and 179 lbs.
Cohen is a Warrick Dunn clone. His ability to stop, cut, and be back at full speed in an instant is incredible. I have not seen its like since Dunn. Particularly returning kicks and punts, Cohen’s elite vision and burst are going to make the team that takes him very happy.
You will often see the best pass rushers almost parallel to the ground as they go around the edge. Cohen does the same thing when he cuts, throwing his body in the direction he wants to go, and catching up instantly with his impossibly quick feet.
It’s a unique trait shared by few, and far more valuable than speed in a running back. It is what separates the players that can cut at full speed from those who lose all their power and speed while changing direction. Those staccato feet also keep him up where other, bigger backs would go down.