Simmie Cobbs was once considered to be a potential Day 2 pick. But, the Washington Redskins were able to land him as an undrafted free agent instead.
Coming into the 2018 NFL Draft, it was clear that the Washington Redskins needed to add some depth to their receiving corps. They had a few starters in place, but the final two or three spots behind them weren’t settled. There are many depth players who could compete, but the upside was capped on many candidates.
The same can’t be said for Simmie Cobbs. The former Indiana receiver was once considered to be a potential Day 2 pick and seemed like a Day 3 lock at the very least heading into the draft. However, he slipped to the ranks of the undrafted after guys like Equanimeous St. Brown and Trey Quinn fell down the board. Still, Cobbs could end up being an impact player in the NFL.
The Redskins were fortunate to land Cobbs as an undrafted free agent. He could end up providing a depth piece to their receiving corps, and he may have a chance to make the team’s final roster despite his lower billing. Here’s an in-depth look at Cobbs’ skill-set and what he could bring to the table for the Redskins.
Cobbs’ on-field performance
Cobbs played at Indiana for three seasons, but he only saw a lot of playing time in two of them. His best campaign came during his sophomore season. During that year, he caught 60 passes for a career-high 1,035 yards. He also caught four scores and had some downfield, playmaking ability. However, the next year he proceeded to get hurt in his first game and missed the season. It was expected he would bounce back, and he did.
As a senior, Cobbs caught 72 passes for 841 yards and eight scores. While he wasn’t as dynamic of a downfield threat as he was during his time working with Nate Sudfeld, it was still clear that he had the ability to play an important role. And also, he has the upside to develop into a physical possession receiver in the NFL.
When watching Cobbs play, it’s pretty clear that his best trait is his size. Cobbs has a very solid 6-foot-3, 220 pound frame that will allow him to be a physical, jump ball receiver at the next level. And that’s what makes him such an intriguing prospect.
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During Cobbs’ career, he made a lot of contested catches. In fact, it seemed that he was always trying to rise above other defensive backs to go up and make catches. This could have been because it was his best skill set, but it also could have been partially due to his lack of overall speed. That may have forced him to have to function as a possession receiver as opposed to a downfield threat.
Though this lack of speed could be a slight problem for Cobbs at the NFL level, the fact that he was able to be very productive while mostly serving as a possession receiver is encouraging. Cobbs also had a phenomenal season opener against Ohio State that saw him catch 11 passes for 149 yards and a score. And he was matched up with No. 4 overall pick Denzel Ward on many of these occasions, so he definitely will be able to beat NFL caliber cornerbacks if he continues to develop.
For the NFL level, Cobbs reminds me a bit of Quincy Enunwa. Both have very good size and have the strength needed to be a big, possession receivers. Enunwa took some time to develop with the Jets after being a sixth round pick, and he does have a bit more speed than Cobbs. But, it’s possible that Cobbs could become a solid starter, as Enunwa has during his time with the Jets.
So, why did Cobbs go undrafted?
This is the question that has to be asked about Cobbs. If he had talent to potential go on Day 3 and possibly as early is the fourth round, why didn’t he? Well, there are a couple of reasons for that.
The first is that Cobbs lacks the speed to help him separate from receivers at the NFL level. On tape, Cobbs’ speed is merely decent at best and it’s clear that he has trouble getting away from defensive backs. He has to make a lot of contested catches and while the big bodied, physical receiver can do that, it may be harder for him to get that done at the NFL level, as there are more physical, athletic cornerbacks to battle with.
WalterFootball.com’s Charlie Campbell corroborated the issues that were seen on tape in a recent article about Cobbs going undrafted. That, compounded with a couple of other problems, made him fall to the undrafted ranks.
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"A couple of team sources said that Cobbs had off-the-field issues that really hurt him. They also felt that his physical traits were problematic, as illustrated by Cobbs running a very slow 40-yard dash time of 4.64 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine. Another team source said they had a fourth-/fifth-round grade on Cobbs but needed more of a speedy slot receiver, so they passed on the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder. Thus, Cobbs went undrafted because of off-the-field and speed concerns."
It’s unclear exactly what the off-field issues were with Cobbs, but he was arrested at a concert in July of 2017, per NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. So, perhaps that could have been a part of it. But regardless, it’s clear that those concerns coupled with concerns about his separation ability is what led him to go undrafted.
How Cobbs fits with the Redskins
The Redskins have their top three wide-outs settled. It appears that the team is going to roll with Josh Doctson, Paul Richardson, and Jamison Crowder as their starting corps. Behind them, the position battle should be fierce. And as a result, Cobbs will have a chance to make the final roster.
The Redskins will probably keep five or six receivers, and that means that Cobbs will be engaged in a battle with several other young receivers with upside. Those players would be Maurice Harris, Robert Davis, Brian Quick, and rookie Trey Quinn. Of the group, Cobbs seemingly has the best jump ball and red zone ability, so perhaps he could win a role as a backup because of that.
If I had to pick today, I would choose Davis, Quinn, and Cobbs as the players to join the team. But Harris would give Cobbs a run for his money. Either way, Cobbs will probably land a job with the Redskins, whether that’s on the active roster on the practice squad.
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If Cobbs had run faster at the Combine, it’s quite possible that he would have been a Day 3 pick. A slew of factors just happened to lead him to the undrafted ranks. That doesn’t mean that he won’t be an effective NFL player, and the Redskins could reap the rewards as a result. So, signing him as an undrafted free agent was a very good move.