Can Alex Cook Earn a Spot as a Developmental Safety?

Alex Cook, Safety

Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 196 pounds
2022 Stats*: GP 13 / GS: 3, 82 tackles (56 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass defensed

*College stats were at Washington

Alex Cook was a talented safety for the Washington Huskies and a major contributor to their defense over the past two seasons. He possesses good size, strength, and athleticism, which allow him to make plays all over the field.

Cook is a sound tackler who uses his physicality to disrupt opposing offenses, making him reliable against the run. He has not really shown his prowess as a pass defender, and he will need to prove that he can be a legitimate third-level option in the NFL.

Sometimes players have skills that their role or the scheme never allowed them to show, and this is a question Cook will need to answer this summer. Overall, Cook has the potential to be a solid contributor for the Giants if he can continue to develop and refine his skills, especially in pass defense.

Cook will be walking into an extremely unsettled situation in the defensive backfield. We know that Xavier McKinney will be a mainstay, but other than that, the rest of the depth chart for both the short- and long-term is up in the air.

Cook will need to outshine guys like Dane Belton, Bobby McCain, Jason Pinnock, and Trenton Thompson, all of whom will compete to start alongside McKinney. As is typically the case with guys on the bottom of the depth chart at their respective positions, special teams' play might be the deciding factor.

Best Case Scenario

The best-case scenario for any undrafted free agent is to make an immediate impression on special teams. In most situations, the coaching staff has a good idea of the players they are considering for starting positions and rotational backups.

Flashing as a quality special teamer keeps you in the fold as the roster slims down through the final cuts. The value of starters in this league means that most teams try to avoid using their starters on special teams. For Cook, this means if he can flash as a special teamer, he will be given the opportunity to further develop his craft as a safety with the Giants coaches.

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Worst Case Scenario

There are currently many defensive backs on this roster, and with that said, defensive coordinator Wink Martindale seems to prefer having a "positionless" defense, including the secondary.

That means if Cook, or any young player for that matter, isn't versatile enough to play multiple roles in different personnel packages, or if he is not an upgrade in one particular area, his chances of sticking on the roster go down significantly.

If he doesn't make the cut, obviously, his best hope is to land on the practice squad. But realistically speaking, there will be a ton of competition to make it on the Giants practice squad, especially considering how many players were elevated last season.

What to Expect in 2023

Given the depth in front of him, it's hard to disagree with the sentiment that Cook is anything more than a camp body. But as is always the case with this coaching staff, it will leave no stone unturned to find any hidden talent that could help the team at some point.

Cook will have an opportunity to impress. The question is, will he, and if he does, will he be able to crack the roster despite the numbers currently not looking in his favor?

There is always the practice squad, of course. And even if Cook doesn't make the cut for the practice squad, the Giants have shown that whenever they have an opening, they like to call back players they've had in training camp whenever possible.

Ultimately, it will likely come down to the players the organization has the most invested in. The best that Cook can hope for if he wants to be a part of a 53-man roster is to compete hard and put a good performance on film for other teams to recognize.

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