FRISCO, Texas — Newly acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks was one of the standout names at the Reliant Home Run Derby on Wednesday night, as he has started to get settled into his new home in the Metroplex since being acquired on March 19.
Part of that settling in has been bonding with his fellow air attack teammate in CeeDee Lamb as the two look to form one of the deadliest one-two wide receiver combos in the league.
"A playmaker," Cooks said about what has stood out about Lamb early on. "You can just watch from the way that he goes out there and runs routes, how he goes about his business. He's been playing at a high level since he entered this league. I look forward to joining him, no doubt about it."
Cooks has also gotten acquainted with Dak Prescott, and considering the 10-year veteran has played with some legendary names such as Tom Brady and Drew Brees, he is eager to officially hit the field with him later this summer based on what he's seen so far.
"I've been around some great ones, and we've been throwing around and let me tell you, that guy can sling that ball," Cooks said. "I'm just excited to get going, no doubt. He's special with that ball coming out of his hands and his natural-born leadership. There's a couple guys that I've been around that can lead a team, and the way he's doing it being this young is unbelievable for sure."
As far as what he can bring to the offense himself, Cooks said that it's "no question" that he still has the 4.33 speed that he had when he first entered the league, and that he can add an extra layer that will open up the offense even more than it saw in 2022.
"Being dynamic," he said about what he can add. "Making plays no matter which way: deep, short, immediate. It really doesn't matter, just come in being dynamic."
The veteran experience is something that hasn't been seen in the wide receiver room for a few seasons, and Cooks is excited to not only play alongside the youth but also coach them both on and off the field.
"Playing in some of those big time games early in my career, but I'd say my approach," he said. "The way I take care of my body, the way that you approach it on and off the field, being able to teach the young guys that will be huge. I was fortunate enough with [Marques] Colston, Drew Brees and them really being able to groom me with things off the field. How you take care of your body, how you eat, that's just my plan to pass that along to young guys as well."
As Cooks began to really dive into what this offense is capable of in 2022, the Oregon State product began to glow with what he thinks could be in store. While he's being slightly reserved with any expectations, his excitement couldn't be bottled.
"It's a pretty strong offense, no doubt," he said. "I've been a part of some pretty explosive offenses, and we haven't played a game yet so I don't want to put any promises out there or anything like that. I do like what we got in there. We're gonna go to work and see what we got from there."
