National Football League

Cobb not letting quad injury derail inevitable NFL plans

Published Mar. 2, 2015 5:40 p.m. ET

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MINNEAPOLIS -- Before Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, David Cobb had just 26 carries and a nondescript line on the Gophers roster to his name.

But that was before starting tailback Donnell Kirkwood, along with backups Rodrick Williams Jr. and Berkley Edwards, became banged up, allowing Cobb to emerge from the bottom of the depth chart and become one of Minnesota's most accomplished ballcarriers in recent memory. That warm, pleasant day at TCF Bank Stadium against Western Illinois, Cobb rushed for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

He might as well have trotted out of the west end zone, past Williams Arena and into the depths of Dinkytown. Because the Killeen, Texas native never really looked back.

And even while a strained quadriceps has hindered his draft preparations, he doesn't see why this should be any different.

"That's something I always wanted, and when I got the chance, I just knew it could be my only one," said Cobb, who rushed 536 times for 2,703 yards (five per carry) in his final 24 college contests, starting with his breakout game against the Leathernecks. "That's how the pro life, I'm assuming, will be. When you come in, you don't know when your number's going to be called. But when it's called, you better be ready, because that might be your last one."

Cobb attended only the final moments of Monday's pro day at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex, prohibited from participation by the injury that knocked him out of last month's NFL Scouting Combine. After a week of intensive rehabilitation in the Twin Cities, he plans to hold a pro day of his own here April 1, 2 or 3.

This was supposed to be his next chance to impress the scouts from almost two dozen NFL teams in attendance. Instead, Cobb swung by to see how 16 Gophers teammates fared and answer a few questions about a suddenly more tenuous future.

He hopes to start running again Wednesday, he said. It was during his 40-yard dash at the combine he pulled up and had to be helped off the Lucas Oil Stadium turf.

Despite missing all of the combine's on-field drills, Cobb projects as a third-round pick, according to NFL Draft Scout.

In Indianapolis, he went through the face-to-face pleasantries with NFL execs that comes with being at the combine. He benched 225 pounds 17 times, posted a 38.5 inch vertical jump and broad jumped 121 inches before being sidelined. But front office workers want to see how he adapts to specific coaching and how his leg is healing up.

Monday would've been a perfect opportunity, but it'll have to wait.

"I know what type of person he is," said Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, who attended Monday's proceedings with coach Mike Zimmer and other Minnesota brass. "The thing is, what you like to get at the pro days is when your coaches can actually coach them on the field. It gives them an opportunity to get a feel for, as he's doing things that maybe we're going to do on an offensive standpoint, how quickly he picks it up, how quickly he responds to our coaches. So not only are you looking at the physical attributes, but also trying to get a feel for what the kid's going to be like when you have to coach him."

Gophers defensive back Cedric Thompson, and under-the-radar pro prospect, was clocked at 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash and posted a 40.5-inch vertical jump.

Cobb could only sit and watch. He didn't long, showing up near the end of the four-hour affair.

"Of course, you want to have those numbers, and if I put them out there, it's easier to compare me to another guy," Cobb said. "But right now, I can't really be compared. Hopefully the film shows enough of it."

Cobb's film shows a built, 5-foot-11, 229-pound back with great pad level and the ability to read and elude defenders. He rushed for more than 1,200 yards each of his final two seasons, including 1,500-plus this past fall. At the Senior Bowl in January, he had 11 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown.

If he hears his name called on or between April 30 and May 2, Cobb will be the first Gophers running back drafted since Laurence Maroney in 2006. He's one of a handful of running backs -- including Big Ten fellows Melvin Gordon and Ameer Abdullah -- expecting to go in the first few rounds.

"It's a very deep running back class," said Cobb, who's signed with an agent -- Jake Presser of Sports Stars, Inc. -- and did most of his pre-combine training in California. "Nowadays, you can get a running back from anywhere. So the best thing for me is to get healthy and come back here, put my best foot forward, and hopefully that's enough."

Said Maxx Williams, who after a solid combine showing took part only in positional drills Monday: "I wish Dave could've been out there today. ... When he's back 100 percent healthy, you guys know how he plays, so it's going to be exciting to see him do all his work."

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