A year ago, WSU defensive lineman Xavier Cooper was nowhere to be found on anyone's NFL Draft radar. And yet, last Sunday, Cooper finished up his rookie minicamp with the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the third round.
I'm reminded of this as I look over Jon Wilner's list of top 2016 NFL Draft prospects in the Pac-12, in which there is nary a Cougar to be found. Not in his top 15, and not even in his 11 "also considered" names. Now, I'm not here to quibble with Wilner's list; goodness knows, he watches a lot more Pac-12 football than I do as part of his job, while I tote kids from practices to games to swim lessons to piano lessons all while trying to keep them from injuring their poor mother.