Luke Fickell: 'Bryan Cook was the Most Underrated Player on our Team'

Cook is a consensus top-100 player in the 2022 NFL Draft.

CINCINNATI — There are eight Bearcats projected to go off the board in Thursday's NFL Draft. One of them isn't getting talked about quite as much as the other prospects but was just as integral to the team's success as some of the bigger names.

Head coach Luke Fickell discussed safety Bryan Cook's impact with Dave Lapham.

"I think he's the most underrated guy on our team," Fickell said on In The Trenches. "When (James) Wiggins got hurt, and he played the whole (AAC) Championship game and played against Georgia that's when we knew what we had. He played his butt off."

Fickell joked how hard he was kicking himself for not recognizing the talent sooner.

"In the winter we had our little combine testing," Fickell said. "When he ran 4.45 (seconds in the 40-yard dash) I kind of looked around and went, 'I'm not sure we are really good coaches guys, Tell me why we didn't have this guy on the field more?' He's dynamic and he is as good a well-rounded kid as we've got in the whole program."

Cook is the consensus 97th-ranked player in the draft and the seventh best cornerback.

Make sure you bookmark All Bearcats for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.

You May Also Like:

Best and Worst Fits For the Bearcats' Top Prospects in 2022 NFL Draft

Multiple NFL Coaches/Scouts Spill Thoughts on Desmond Ridder

Bearcats Fall in Latest Way-Too-Early Top-25 Ranking

Pinging The Portal: UC Contacts Eastern Illinois Forward Barlow Alleruzzo IV

Report: Myjai Sanders is a 'Scout's Favorite' in the 2022 NFL Draft

Bearcats Fall in Latest Way-Too-Early Top-25 Ranking

Coby Bryant Picked in a Major Two-Round Mock Draft for First Time; Three Other Bearcats Selected

UC Football Adds Commitment From Three-Star Athlete Braedyn Moore

Report: Myjai Sanders Visits Tennessee Titans

Cincinnati Lands Rob Phinisee in Transfer Portal

Corey Kiner: 'Why Come Closer to Home When I Could Just Come Home?'

Five Bearcats Selected in Latest Three-Round Mock Draft

Seven Bearcats Scheduled to Workout at Cincinnati Bengals Local Showcase

Recruiting Roundup: Four-Star RB Visits Cincinnati, Basketball Team Offers Georgia Guard

Desmond Ridder Comparing Himself to Titans' QB Ryan Tannehill in NFL Meetings

Former Bearcats Punter James Smith Signs With CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders

Report: Detroit Mercy Transfer Guard Antoine Davis Visiting Cincinnati

Desmond Ridder Getting Plenty of First Round Buzz Ahead of 2022 NFL Draft

Old Dominion Transfer Kalu Ezikpe Committing to Cincinnati

Rayvon Griffith Committing on May 1

Bearcats Highest-Ranked Group of Five School in ESPN FPI

Rayvon Griffith Committing on May 1

Recruiting Roundup: Bearcats Offer Four-Star 2024 Tight End; Wes Miller Targets Two 2024 Talents

Report: Over 10 NFL Teams Grade Desmond Ridder as a First-Round Talent

Cincinnati Offers Five-Star 2024 Center Somtochukwu Cyril

Luke Fickell: 'You Can't Leave a Legacy in a Few Years'

Eight Bearcats Selected in Latest Seven-Round Mock Draft

Peter King: Desmond Ridder 'Likely' a First-Round Pick

Four-Star 2023 Guard Rayvon Griffith Places Cincinnati in Top-Five Schools

Takeaways From UC's 2022 Spring Game

Bearcats Q&A: A Ball-Handling Discussion With Mika Adams-Woods

-----

Be sure to keep it locked on All Bearcats all the time!

Follow All Bearcats on Twitter: @AllBearcats

Like All Bearcats on FaceBook: All Bearcats

Follow All Bearcats on Instagram: @BearcatsTalk