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Chicago Bears Take Elusive Running Back Tarik Cohen in 4th Round of 2017 NFL Draft

By Dan Schmelzer

Dec 19, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina A&T Aggies running back Tarik Cohen (28) is tackled by Alcorn State Braves defensive back Warren Gatewood (24) in the second quarter of the 2015 Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 19, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina A&T Aggies running back Tarik Cohen (28) is tackled by Alcorn State Braves defensive back Warren Gatewood (24) in the second quarter of the 2015 Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Bears drafted the “Human Joystick” Tarik Cohen in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

With Jordan Howard in the fold, running back was not a major area of need for the Chicago Bears heading into the 2017 NFL Draft. That being said, they just took a shot on an exciting player at the position, as they drafted Tarik Cohen in the fourth round.

Cohen was an explosive back at North Carolina A&T who showed ridiculous speed and quickness with the ball in his hands. For his amazing change of direction quickness, Tarik was nicknamed the “Human Joystick.” Simply put, this guy can make anyone miss in the open field.

Take a look for yourself:

Cohen clearly has ridiculous elusiveness and has the speed to take it to the house from anywhere on the field. He is also a strong receiver out of the backfield and should be a great change of pace back to compliment Howard.

I projected Cohen as a possible target for the Chicago Bears over a month ago. I think this explanation from that post helps give us an idea of Cohen as a player.

"An extremely slippery and elusive runner, Cohen is ridiculously difficult to bring down in open space. He has fantastic short area quickness and elite-level start-and-stop ability. Also, despite being so small, Cohen is a relatively compact runner who has a bit of power behind his pads. He did a great job of bursting through arm tackles in college."

Many will look at Cohen’s lack of size (listed at 5-6, 179 pounds) and say he is too small to play running back in the NFL. I do not think that he is a true three-down back or anything like that, but Cohen does a nice job of running behind his pads. He is a compact runner who can be difficult to bring down. The comparison to Darren Sproles here is obvious and completely applicable. Do not be surprised if Cohen has a Sproles-like impact for the Bears.

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I like the fit of Cohen with the Bears because Mike Glennon really likes to dump the ball off. Glennon has a strong arm but he is afraid to use it. Perhaps Cohen can take some short passes from Glennon and turn them into something? Do not be surprised if Cohen finds himself playing a major role in the Bears’ offense sooner, rather than later.

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