Arguably the last thing any fan of the San Francisco 49ers wants to hear from a new player is praise of anything connected with the Seattle Seahawks.
But after being selected in the fourth round by the Niners, Arizona wide receiver Jacob Cowing was full of praise for one of a veteran Seahawks All-Pro.
Cowing was the second wide receiver pick made by the Niners, who took Florida’s Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall selection in the first round.
During his time with Arizona, Cowing won not just because of 4.3 speed, but because of an ability to change direction fluidly while running at full speed as well as impressive detail as a route-runner and an understanding of how to attack a defender’s leverage.
His impressive route-running was no accident, Cowing having taken the time to study one of the best in the business, who just happens to play for the Seahawks.
“As I was growing up on my football journey, I looked at [Seattle Seahawks WR] Tyler Lockett a lot,” Cowing said after his selection by San Francisco. “Very similar in stature. I kind of resembled my game after him a lot.
“And then also within this past year [Houston Texans WR] Tank Dell and [Baltimore Ravens WR] Zay Flowers, very good receivers, had a lot of good production their last year. So I look up to those guys and try to add to my game.”
One of the better route-runners in the game, Lockett was named first-team All-Pro in 2015 and has since earned second-team honors twice. His run of four successive 1,000-yard seasons was only ended in the previous campaign, and there can be no denying Lockett is an excellent player for Cowing to model his game on.
No Niners fan wants to hear praise for the Seahawks but, in admiring Lockett and studying his game, Cowing has certainly aided his chances of succeeding in beating NFL pass coverage.
