Broncos Draft Ohio State Edge Rusher Jonathon Cooper with Pick 239 in Round 7
The Denver Broncos ultimately exercised Von Miller's 2021 option, guaranteeing the team's all-time sack artist will be in the Orange and Blue this fall. But entering his age-32 season, and coming off a year missed entirely due to an ankle injury, it always behooved the Broncos to find some insurance on the edge.
Malik Reed outkicked his coverage, emerging with a team-high eight sacks in 2020 in relief of Miller. Bradley Chubb earned his first-ever Pro Bowl nod last year after notching 7.5 sacks on the heels of a torn ACL that cost him most of the 2019 campaign.
Despite Reed being a pleasant surprise, the depth behind projected starters Miller and Chubb was a little alarming. That explains why the Broncos were so ecstatic to land Ohio State edge rusher Jonathon Cooper with pick 239 in the seventh round.
At 6-foot-3 and 259 pounds, Cooper brings 4.6-second speed to the edge. Although he struggled with injuries at times in his collegiate career, when he was on the field, he produced for the Buckeyes.
In eight games last year, Cooper produced 3.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for a loss, and a forced fumble. As a run defender, he produced 12 stops for Ohio State.
A former four-star recruit out of Ohio, Cooper brings a high-octane football motor to the field which helps him win a lot of his reps. Known for his active hands that keep opposing offensive linemen from getting their mitts inside his chest plate, the driven edge rusher saves his best ball for the clutch.
The Broncos can always use as many players as possible who possess the 'clutch gene', similarly to Shelby Harris and of course, Miller. Mile High Huddle's senior draft analyst Erick Trickel said this about Cooper.
Cooper doesn't have the best length but he is tenacious as a pass rusher. He doesn't give up on a single snap. He is a good kid with a chip on his shoulder and a team captain.
There is a decent technique with Cooper but overall, it needs to be cleaned up but he fits well as a stand-up pass rusher that the Broncos employ. There is more athleticism with him than Derrek Tuszka. Cooper's run defense is lackluster, but he has had some flashes speaking to his potential there. He may not be a starter but has the ability to earn teh the No. 3 edge job a year or two down the road.
Time will tell exactly how Cooper fits in but he'll join ex-Buckeye teammate Dre'Mont Jones on Vic Fangio's defense and seek to vanquish 2020 seventh-rounder Derrek Tuszka to earn a role.
In all honesty, the Broncos got a bit of a steal in Cooper. As a seventh-rounder, he represents more than just an 11th-hour flyer for Denver.
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