Tag: Elijah Cooks

Jaguars elevate practice squad WR for Week 13

Jaguars elevate practice squad WR for Week 13

The Jacksonville Jaguars promoted wide receiver Elijah Cooks from their practice squad via standard elevation for their Week 13 matchup with the Houston Texans, the club announced on Saturday.

Cooks will be active for the second time this season. He logged three offensive snaps in Jacksonville’s Week 9, 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

A second-year pro, Cooks signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of San Jose State following the 2023 NFL draft and made Jacksonville’s 53-player roster for his rookie season. He caught three passes for 38 yards in nine appearances.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson named Cooks among the potential replacements for starting wide receiver Gabe Davis, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Detroit Lions in Week 11, in Jacksonville’s offense moving forward.

Parker Washington, Devin Duvernay and Tim Jones, members of Jacksonville’s active roster, could also see their utilization increase with Davis sidelined.

“Yeah, Parker takes a big step forward, obviously. It’s a big role for him. Devin Duvernay increased his role, but we’ve got Elijah Cooks, Joshua Cephus, Austin Trammell’s been elevated [from the practice squad] a couple of times,” Pederson said Friday. “Any of those guys can step up. Tim Jones can obviously increase his role a little bit more offensively.”

Jacksonville vs. Houston is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, at EverBank Stadium.

Jaguars promote WRs from practice squad for Week 9

Jaguars promote WRs from practice squad for Week 9

With injuries mounting at the position entering their Week 9 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Jacksonville Jaguars promoted wide receivers Elijah Cooks and Austin Trammell from their practice squad to the active roster via standard elevation on Saturday.

Jacksonville will be without starting slot receiver Christian Kirk for the rest of the season after he broke his collarbone in Week 8.

To pair, fellow starting receivers, Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) and Gabe Davis (shoulder) enter Week 9 questionable, and backup receiver and return specialist Devin Duvernay is currently on the injured reserve.

Cooks joined the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of San Jose State in 2023 and secured a spot on the club’s 53-player roster to open the season. He made nine appearances as a rookie and caught three passes for 38 yards.

However, Cooks was relegated to Jacksonville’s practice squad this season. His elevation for Week 9 will mark his first game active with the Jaguars this year.

Tranmell joined the Jaguars this offseason after beginning his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 and spending the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. Like Cooks, he was moved to Jacksonville‘s practice squad in August.

Trammell has logged six receptions for 42 yards and averaged 16.8 yards per kickoff return and 7.3 yards per punt return over 24 career appearances.

Jaguars vs. Colts inactives: JaMycal Hasty, Parker Washington out

Five of the six Jaguars players listed as inactive Sunday against the Colts are rookies.

The Jacksonville Jaguars listed six players as inactive ahead of a 1 p.m. ET kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

There were no surprises on the list as rookies Antonio Johnson and Tyler Lacy were already ruled out on the Friday injury report. The rest of the list was also comprised mostly of rookies:

The only veteran who is inactive for the Jaguars in running back JaMycal Hasty, who was replaced in the third spot on the depth chart by free agent signee D’Ernest Johnson.

Jacksonville kept seven wide receivers on the 53-man roster after preseason, but will roll into Sunday with five after sitting down rookies Parker Washington and Elijah Cooks.

For the Colts, the big news on their list of inactives is that running back Zack Moss is officially out of action in Week 1.

Moss, who is recovering from a broken arm, was listed as questionable Friday, but downgraded to doubtful Saturday. With Jonathan Taylor also out of action, the Colts are expected to start third-year running back Deon Jackson.

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Doug Pederson, Trent Baalke explain decision to keep 7 WRs

Why keep seven wide receivers into September? Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke explained the decision during a press conference Thursday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars surprised just about everyone when they kept seven wide receivers earlier this week while cutting the roster down from 90 players to 53.

While it seemed that Tim Jones, Parker Washington, and Elijah Cooks were among a group of receivers battling for two spots, the Jaguars elected to keep all three.

“You never really go in with a set number,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Thursday. “Sometimes, you’re going to go heavy in one position and you go light in another one or whatever it might be. It’s just how it worked out this year and we’re excited for the seven we have with depth there and a couple on practice squad too.”

On the wrong end of the decision was Gerrit Prince. After spending his rookie year in 2022 on the practice squad, the second-year player looked like a shoo in for a roster spot as the fourth tight end. But seven wide receivers meant there was room for just three tight ends.

“Gerrit’s a good, young player,” Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said Thursday. “He’s going to go on and do some big things in this league. It was just a numbers game. It was keep four running backs, keep seven wide receivers, or keep four tight ends.

“We went back and forth and just decided that was the best course of action knowing there was a great chance that if he wasn’t here, he’d be somewhere else.”

That proved to be the case, as Prince turned down a practice squad offer from the Jaguars to join the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad instead. But the decision ultimately came down to whether or not Jacksonville was willing to part with Cooks, an undrafted rookie who caught seven passes for 146 yards in preseason.

“I think he’s a young man that just kept showing up,” Baalke said of Cooks. “He comes to work every day, he’s got a great attitude. He’s obviously got the physical tools, he’s 6’4 plus his long arms. He’s got a great catch radius, and he was making plays.”

Will all seven receivers see much time in the regular season? So long as injuries don’t force the Jaguars’ hand, then probably not. Last year, Kendric Pryor spent the entire season as Jacksonville’s sixth wide receiver, but was a healthy scratch for almost every game and never played a snap.

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Zay Jones on Elijah Cooks: ‘He’s going to be a phenomenal talent’

Zay Jones says undrafted rookie Elijah Cooks definitely earned his spot on the Jaguars’ 53-man roster.

Perhaps the most surprising decision made by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday was the team keeping seven wide receivers. That bold choice boiled down to one thing, though: undrafted rookie Elijah Cooks was simply too impressive to cut.

Cooks, who stands 6’4, caught seven passes in the preseason for 146 yards and earned the third highest grade on PFF among all offensive rookies.

“I was really happy for him,” Jaguars receiver Zay Jones told 1010XL’s Mia O’Brien on Tuesday, shortly after the initial 53-man roster was announced. “He’s a young guy with a lot of energy, a lot of excitement, humor. But he’s earned it as well.

“I think when you turn on the tape through training camp, through the preseason games, the guy was always making plays. Big body, he’s fast, he’s strong, can go up and high point the football. It’s just really awesome to see a guy like that come in here — I believe from San Jose State, if I’m not mistaken — to come in here, a completely different element, and just ingrain himself into the system and make plays.”

With Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Jamal Agnew holding down roster spots and sixth-round pick Parker Washington added to the mix, it seemed Cooks had the tall task of beating out Tim Jones, Jacob Harris, Seth Williams, and Kevin Austin Jr. for the sixth spot on the depth chart.

Tim Jones seemingly solidified his spot, but the Jaguars kept Cooks anyway.

“The moment never seems too big for him,” Zay Jones told O’Brien. “I think he is already a great player and he’s going to be a phenomenal talent, like I said. I’m so glad he’s on our team.”

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5 studs and 3 duds from the Jaguars’ 25-7 win vs. Lions

With Jaguars starters watching from the sideline, which players made a strong push for a spot on the roster and who took a step backward?

The Jacksonville Jaguars breezed through the Detroit Lions on Saturday, tripling their opponent’s total yardage in a 25-7 win.

But preseason results don’t matter nearly as much as the individual performances of players battling to climb the depth chart. With Jaguars starters watching from the sideline, Saturday night was largely about players trying to prove why they deserve a spot on the 53-man roster.

Here are five players who stood out from the rest and three who took a step in the wrong direction:

Jaguars 2023 roster review: WR Elijah Cooks

Elijah Cooks stands 6’4, 215 pounds and could add a different element to the Jaguars’ receiver corps.

The brunt of the offseason is in the books and training camp is underway. Join us for a player-by-player review of the Jaguars roster ahead of the 2023 season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ retooled wide receiving corps yielded great results in 2022 and it looks primed to be even more special now that Calvin Ridley has been added to the mix. But if there’s one thing missing from the group, it’s size.

No receiver last year was listed above 6’2 and Ridley is 6’1.

Undrafted rookie Elijah Cooks could offer a new element on the outside of the Jaguars’ pass offense at 6’4, 215 pounds. The former Nevada receiver, who finished his collegiate career with one season at San Jose State, racked up 28 touchdown grabs in the college ranks.

Contract (2023): $750,000 base salary, $3,333 prorated signing bonus, $753,333 cap hit.

Acquired: The Jaguars signed Cooks as a rookie free agent on May 1, 2023.

PFF grades:

  • 83.0 (2022 – SJST)
  • 65.0 (2021 – NEV)
  • 74.5 (2020 – NEV)
  • 76.4 (2019 – NEV)
  • 55.6 (2018 – NEV)
  • 63.2 (2017 – NEV)

Highlight:

Quote: “We play a child’s game honestly so you got to have fun with it. A lot of people don’t like to have fun with it so I like to enjoy myself being out there and know that I’m not going to be able to play this forever. I’m going to enjoy it.” – Cooks

Calvin Ridley (No. 0) Travis Etienne Jr. (No. 1) Rayshawn Jenkins (No. 2) C.J. Beathard (No. 3) Tank Bigsby (No. 4) Andre Cisco (No. 5)
Chris Claybrooks (No. 6) Zay Jones (No. 7) Logan Cooke (No. 9) Parker Washington (No. 11) James McCourt (No. 12) Christian Kirk (No. 13)
Kendric Pryor (No. 14) Tim Jones (No. 15) Trevor Lawrence (No. 16) Evan Engram (No. 17) Nathan Rourke (No. 18) Sammis Reyes (No. 19)
Daniel Thomas (No. 20) Latavious Brini (No. 21) JaMycal Hasty (No. 22) Foyesade Oluokun (No. 23) Snoop Conner (No. 24) D’Ernest Johnson (No. 25)
Antonio Johnson (No. 26) Divaad Wilson (No. 27) Tevaughn Campbell (No. 29) Montaric Brown (No. 30) Darious Williams (No. 31) Tyson Campbell (No. 32)
Devin Lloyd (No. 33) Gregory Junior (No. 34) Ayo Oyelola (No. 35) Christian Braswell (No. 36) Tre Herndon (No. 37) Qadree Ollison (No. 38)
Jamal Agnew (No. 39) Erick Hallett (No. 40) Josh Allen (No. 41) Andrew Wingard (No. 42) Kaleb Hayes (No. 43) Derek Parish (No. 43)
Travon Walker (No. 44) K’Lavon Chaisson (No. 45) Ross Matiscik (No. 46) De’Shaan Dixon (No. 47) Chad Muma (No. 48) Shaquille Quarterman (No. 50)
Ventrell Miller (No. 51) DaVon Hamilton (No. 52) Willie Taylor III (No. 53) DJ Coleman (No. 54) Dequan Jackson (No. 55) Yasir Abdullah (No. 56)
Caleb Johnson (No. 57) Raymond Vohasek (No. 59) Darryl Williams (No. 60) Samuel Jackson (No. 62) Coy Cronk (No. 64) Chandler Brewer (No. 67)
Brandon Scherff (No. 68) Tyler Shatley (No. 69) Cole Van Lanen (No. 70) Walker Little (No. 72) Blake Hance (No. 73) Cam Robinson (No. 74)
Cooper Hodges (No. 75) Anton Harrison (No. 76) Josh Wells (No. 77) Ben Bartch (No. 78) Luke Fortner (No. 79) Kevin Austin Jr. (No. 80)
Seth Williams (No. 81) Elijah Cooks (No. 84) Brenton Strange (No. 85) Gerrit Prince (No. 86) Jaray Jenkins (No. 87) Oliver Martin (No. 88)
Luke Farrell (No. 89) Henry Mondeaux (No. 90) Dawuane Smoot (No. 91) Jordan Smith (No. 92) Tyler Lacy (No. 93) Folorunso Fatukasi (No. 94)
Roy Robertson-Harris (No. 95) Adam Gotsis (No. 96) Michael Dogbe (No. 98) Jeremiah Ledbetter (No. 99) Brandon McManus Jacob Harris
Josh Pederson

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Jaguars announce 10 undrafted free agent additions

The Jaguars’ list of 10 undrafted signings includes three receivers, two players named Jackson, and two players from UCF.

Update: After announcing Eastern Kentucky linebacker Matthew Jackson as one of their signings, the Jaguars have since removed him from the list. He is reportedly set to join the Tennessee Titans instead.

The Jacksonville Jaguars added 13 players during the 2023 NFL draft and rounded out the roster with 10 more rookies signed in undrafted free agency.

The list, which was mostly reported immediately after the draft ended Saturday, includes three wide receivers, three linebackers, two players named Jackson, and two from UCF:

  • Jayson Ademilola, DT, Notre Dame — 6’3, 285
  • D.J. Coleman, OLB, Missouri — 6’5, 263
  • Elijah Cooks, WR, San Jose State — 6’4, 215
  • Kaleb Hayes, CB, BYU — 6’0, 195
  • Dequan Jackson, LB, Colorado State — 6’1, 225
  • Samuel Jackson, OL, UCF — 6’6, 325
  • Jaray Jenkins, WR, LSU — 6’2, 200
  • Oliver Martin, WR, Nebraska — 6’1, 200
  • Leonard Taylor, TE, Cincinnati — 6’5, 255
  • Divaad Wilson, CB, UCF — 6’0, 195

To make room for the 10 additions, the Jaguars released safety Tyree Gillespie and offensive lineman Jimmy Murray. Gillespie was on the field for 28 special teams snaps with the Jaguars during the 2022 season. Murray spent the year on the practice squad.

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2023 NFL Draft Profile: San Jose State WR Elijah Cooks

After successful stints at Nevada and San Jose State, Cooks looks to make the leap to the pros as a NFL Draft pick.

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2023 NFL Draft Profile: San Jose State WR Elijah Cooks

After successful stints at Nevada and San Jose State, Cooks looks to make the leap to the pros as a NFL Draft pick.

Contact/Follow @michaelbraydaly & @MWCwire

Evaluating Cooks as a prospect

San Jose State wide receiver Elijah Cooks will hope to hear his name called during the three days of the 2023 NFL Draft.

In the Mountain West Conference, Cooks was a standout wide receiver at Nevada and San Jose State over four seasons. He spent one season at San Jose State and that was enough for him to be a legitimate draft prospect.

Will Cooks hear his name called?

Measurables (taken from Dane Brugler)

Height – 6′ and 3 3/4″
Weight – 219 pounds
40-yard time – 4.49 seconds
10-yard split time – 1.62 seconds
Arm length – 33″
Hand size – 9 1/2″
Wingspan – 80″
Vertical jump – 37 1/2″
Broad jump – 10′ and 3″ (or 123″)
Shuttle time – 4.25 seconds
3-cone drill time – 7.10 seconds
Bench press – 16 reps

Highlights

Strengths

Cooks is a trustworthy target for any quarterback. In 2022, he had career-highs in touchdowns and receiving yards. He assimilated to San Jose State’s offense and had one of the best single seasons for a wide receiver in San Jose State history. At 6’3, his size will help him jump over and beat smaller defensive backs.

Weaknesses

Cooks is not known for his blocking ability, which could be an issue for him making a roster at his size. Cooks, who poses a deep threat, will be forced to gain separation from defenders. His speed does not variate, which could make it difficult to get open. Defenders will try to force Cooks into running shorter routes.

NFL Comparison

Mack Hollins- Atlanta Falcons

There are some similarities in size and catching ability. Mack Hollins developed into a solid intermediate route runner with an ability to catch balls over the middle. Hollins also has breakaway speed on the sidelines and can track balls in the air. Cooks will likely need to work on catching passes over the middle to broaden his skill set.

Draft Prediction

Cooks will be undrafted and will land with a team as an undrafted free agent. Cooks has the talent to beat out other wide receivers and make a 53-man roster at the end of training camp.

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