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his is an NFL comparison that Kansas City Chiefs fans will want to hear.
Speaking on the “Defending the Kingdom” podcast with Mitch Holtus and Matt McMullen, nine-year NFL linebacker Shawn Barber, who played for three seasons in Kansas City, compared Chiefs third-round pick Bryan Cook to a former hard-hitting safety that is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“You know what I see [in Bryan Cook]… I see Brian Dawkins. A guy that was in my ear my whole career when I was in Philadelphia, the two years I was there,” Barber explained. Having a knowledge of the game, being able to control the secondary, being able to control — when it’s a pass set — knowing, kind of, instinctively where you need to be.
“But coming with such a type of raw emotion — the way he hits guys… the play stops immediately. I mean, he got some [hard hits] that, when he delivers on these receivers man, it makes you just start thinking about some of the greatest hitting safeties in the league.”
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Dawkins played in the NFL for 16 years, 13 of them with the Philadelphia Eagles and three with the Denver Broncos. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro, and recorded 1,147 total tackles in 221 regular-season games, according to Pro Football Reference.
Dawkins was a part of the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Happy Birthday to Gold Jacket @BrianDawkins! 😤
Cook Will Play Enforcer Role in KC’s Secondary
It wasn’t until his senior year at Cincinnati that Cook became a full-time starter for the Bearcats. However, he played well enough in that one season to make him a Day 2 NFL draft pick.
During the 2021 season, Cook recorded 96 total tackles, 9 passes defended, 5 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions, according to Sports Reference. But what won’t show up on the stat sheet is the physical punishment he dishes out to his opponents on the football field.
Bryan Cook … intriguing
Being a hard-hitter isn’t the only thing Cook brings to the table, however, which Barber detailed, along with NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein.
“Skilled enforcer with the size, toughness and instincts to put his stamp on the game in a variety of ways. Cook plays with the confidence and consistency of a pro safety and loves to run and hit,” Zierlein wrote of Cook in his Cook’s NFL draft profile.
“His blend of football intelligence, athleticism and physicality makes him an ideal fit for matchup-oriented defenses looking for versatile back-end chameleons. He can be used as an add-on run defender, match up on ‘F’ tight ends or play on the back-end. Cook needs to answer questions about his speed and play with focus and leverage as an open-field tackler, but he’s reliable and talented. He could become a good starter early in his career.”
Brett Veach Details Decision to Draft Cook
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach detailed the decision to draft Cook, and what he saw from Cook that resulted in him ending up in Kansas City.
“[Bryan Cook] was a small-school kid that transferred to Cincinnati,” Veach said during a press conference on April 29 following the second and third rounds of the draft. “And prior to the Combine, we loved his tape and loved his makeup. Unbelievable interview at the Combine. Super smart.”
Veach also explained that he felt Cook — who didn’t participate in any on-field drills at the NFL Scouting Combine due to a shoulder injury — fell right into Kansas City’s lap in the third round. Had Cook participated in the on-field drills back in February, Cook might not have been available come the Chiefs’ first third-round pick.
“If he goes there and he runs 4.48 and jumps 38 or something like that, those teams start checking that tape out a little bit more.”
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9-Year NFL LB Compares Chiefs S Bryan Cook to Hall of Famer