Bear Goggles On
Fansided

Draft Profile: Fourth Round Pick Tarik Cohen

By Bill Zimmerman

Dec 19, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina A&T Aggies running back Tarik Cohen (28) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Alcorn State Braves in the fourth quarter of the 2015 Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome. North Carolina A&T defeated Alcorn State 41-34. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 19, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina A&T Aggies running back Tarik Cohen (28) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Alcorn State Braves in the fourth quarter of the 2015 Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome. North Carolina A&T defeated Alcorn State 41-34. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

With their second 4th round pick, the Chicago Bears selected Tarik Cohen.

The Chicago Bears had two fourth round picks in the 2017 NFL Draft. After taking Alabama S Eddie Jackson with their first selection, the Bears took Tarik Cohen, a running back from North Carolina A&T with the 119th overall selection.

More from Bear Goggles On

Cohen has potential to be an explosive scat back for the Chicago Bears. Standing only 5’6 and weighing only 175 lbs, Cohen was not brought in as competition for Jordan Howard, but as a compliment to the star rookie running back.

Cohen put up video game numbers in college. He ran for 5,619 career yards, which is a MEAC conference record. He was offensive player of the year for the conference three times and was an All- American in 2016. In his final season at North Carolina A&T, Cohen gained almost 2000 yards rushing and receiving and scored 20 touchdowns.

Cohen doesn’t have any experience returning punts or kicks, but the Bears will take a look at him at those positions and see if there is any potential there. The bottom line with Cohen is that he’s a home run threat every time he touches the ball. In college he was called “the human joystick” due to his ability to make video game-type plays. He has the opportunity to break big plays constantly when he has the ball in his hands. Check out the highlights below, you won’t find a more entertaining highlight package than what Cohen brings to the table.

Cohen’s biggest issues stem from being extremely undersized and not having played better competition in college. Scouts say he took several big hits because he’s always looking to make a big play every time he touches the ball. Cohen is not the guy to get you 3 yards on a 3rd and 2. He’s the guy that will get you 85 yards on a 2nd and 6 or -4 yards on a 1st and 10. The Bears will look to pick their spots with Cohen and give him favorable match-ups in hopes that he can break big plays.

Whether Cohen can handle the step from low-level collegiate competition to the big stage is a question mark. If he learns to play within himself and not try to score a touchdown on every play, he could become a very good playmaker for an offense that doesn’t have much in terms of playmakers.

Cohen is probably either going to be a steal at this position or a bust. Cohen is either going to be held back by his size, or find his role with a team and become the league’s next Darren Sproles.

Home/Chicago Bears Draft