Brandin Cooks has been around great quarterbacks in his seven seasons in the NFL.
As a first-round pick in 2014, the former Oregon State receiver spent the first three years of his career with the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees. In 2017, he was traded to the New England Patriots and made a Super Bowl run with Tom Brady. From 2018-19, he was with the Los Angeles Rams and Jared Goff, and last year was spent with the Houston Texans and Deshaun Watson.
With third-round rookie quarterback Davis Mills, Cooks has an opportunity to impart some of the greatness he observed from those quarterbacks upon the former Stanford product. Instead, Cooks is letting the coaches handle it.
“I don’t talk too much about X’s and O’s with him,” Cooks said. “I talk to him more off the field. He’s going to be drilled enough from the quarterbacks coach [Pep Hamilton], from Tim Kelly and from the other quarterbacks in his group.”
The other quarterbacks in the group include Watson, although he has yet to participate in any team portions of practice as his trade request from January is still standing. Former Pro Bowler Tyrod Taylor and journeyman Jeff Driskel provide insight in the quarterback room to develop the youngster.
Where does Cooks try to help the rookie if not on the football field?
Said Mills: “My biggest thing, I just want to talk to him and try to help him out just in life, being a professional. Talking about just eating, where to go eat, if he needs help with rehab, if he needs anything outside the field.”
Mills is taking a leap of faith in Houston. The 22-year-old from Norcross, Georgia, in the Atlanta area moved to Houston and stayed with his sister, and his girlfriend has currently moved to the Bayou City. Mills can use all of the support he can get as he adjusts to the Houston area and pro football.