Overview

Overview

Cousins, a native Jamaican, signed with UTEP as a defensive tackle and remained at this position until being moved to left tackle as a junior.

Cousins' natural size and athleticism helped him make the transition to the offensive side of the ball, but he predictably struggled with technique. In making the move as a senior to the right side of the line, Cousins enjoyed significant improvement.

He flashes the foot quickness to ultimately move back to the left side and has developed his upper body strength and use of hands significantly. In fact, Cousins' rapid development has scouts talking of Cousins as one of the real "diamond in the rough" types of a strong 2008 crop of offensive tackles.

The concern, of course, is that Cousins remains an unpolished diamond -- one that will require some development before he is ready to contribute at the NFL level. Cousins flashes the athleticism needed to play on the outside, but early in his career teams may elect to move him inside -- where he has never played -- to get him acclimated to the speed of the pro game.

High School

First team All-CIF defensive lineman and team defensive MVP as a senior at Eastside Christian High School ... also an All-CIF defensive lineman as a junior, and an honorable mention All-CIF defensive lineman as a sophomore ... posted 108 tackles, 10 sacks and two fumble recoveries as a senior ... recorded double-digit stops in five games, including 22 versus Liberty Christian High School ... had four sacks against Skyward Christian High School ... three-year varsity letterwinner ... split time in the offensive line, defensive line and at middle linebacker as a senior ... played in the offensive and defensive lines as a junior, and offensive line as a sophomore ... high school coach was Mike Blankenship ... received academic awards as a member of the football and basketball teams ... All-CIF and All-Conference Southern Section basketball player ... earned a speech award from the Rotary Club his junior year.

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Analysis

Analysis

Positives: Rare combination of size and timed speed. ... Unique athlete who has made consistent improvement throughout his career and looks to have a high upside. ... Signed with UTEP as a defensive tackle and developed into a First Team All-CUSA offensive tackle after only playing the position two years. ... Rare timed speed. ... Good initial quickness off the snap. ... Has the lateral agility to mirror pass rushers and has developed his hand usage considerably. ... Strong enough to maintain the edge when he gets his hands on the defender. ... Flashes the athleticism to block on the move at the second level. ... Has experience at left and right tackle and some view his more natural position inside at guard.

Negatives: Raw. ... Blessed with rare natural athleticism, but needs to continue to improve in terms of strength and technique to contribute at the next level. ... Has learned to play with better balance, but reverts back to waist-bending as he tires. ... May be without a position initially in the NFL, as his most success came this season at right tackle, but lacks the size most teams prefer there.

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