NFC South Rivals Discuss Whether New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Brandin Cooks Deserve Coverage from Top Cornerbacks

Over on the ESPN.com blog, NFC South beat writers were asked if they believed Saints WR Brandin Cooks deserved coverage by a top Cornerback, treatment given to the likes of Mike Evans, Julio Jones, and Kelvin Benjamin across the NFC South.

All three NFC South teams - the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers - recognize the ability of Brandin Cooks. They note his speed, hands, and route-running, recognizing Cooks as a tremendous young talent in the NFL.

It should come as no surprise then, that all three teams seemingly would want to have a cornerback shadow Brandin Cooks if at all possible during their two match-ups next season. The Bucs would seemingly use new acquisition Brent Grimes to shadow Cooks, and the Falcons would use Desmond Trufant, both of which are former Pro Bowlers.

The Carolina Panthers would prefer to have a top cornerback shadow Brandin Cooks, but after the departure of Pro Bowler Josh Norman, the Panthers do not have a top cornerback to use in shadowing Cooks across the formation. It is also interesting to note that the Panthers were interested in Brandin Cooks in the 2014 NFL Draft, viewing him as one of the best route-runners and "complete" receivers in that draft class.