Where do Brandin Cooks' career stats see him rank among the best WRs of his generation?

Brandin Cooks is easily one of the most underrated pass-catchers of his generation. The Oregon State University alum deserves way more credit than he has got in his NFL career.

Cooks has been traded more than your average borderline Pro Bowler, but that hasn't stopped him from balling out. Just recently, the former New Orleans Saints standout got traded for peanuts from the Houston Texans to the Dallas Cowboys. A ludicrous package for a player with more receiving yards and TDs than your favorite Pro Bowler.

So, before we analyze Cooks' position among his generation's wide receivers, let's look at his stats since he made his NFL debut.

Brandin Cooks started his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, the team that selected him with the 20th overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.

He had the privilege of catching passes from one of the most excellent passers of all time, Drew Brees, and he gave a good account of himself for the Saints.

Cooks put up a stat line of 550 passing yards and three touchdowns in his rookie season, participating in 10 games for the year. He upped his stats to 1,138 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in his second season with the Saints, and closed out his New Orleans career with yet another 1,000+ receiving season in his third year. After this, he was traded to the New England Patriots.

Brandin Cooks looked like he was made for the Patriots' system, as his tenacity and skill fit like a glove on Bill Belichick's system. He caught passes from another great, Tom Brady, a man people see as the greatest football player of all time.

Cooks was cooking in New England and put a stat line of 1,082 and seven touchdowns in his sole season there. Before he was again shipped off to another city, this time to the Los Angeles Rams.

He wasn't half as bad for the Rams, as he became Jared Goff's number-one target in his time in Los Angeles. He helped the Rams in a transitional period, putting up stats that would make Ocho Cinco blush.

He put up a stat line of 1,204 receiving yards and five touchdowns in his first season. Then, he totaled 583 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his injury-truncated second season. He left the Rams at the end of the season to sign for the Houston Texans.

Brandin Cooks never complained about joining the struggling Houston Texans ahead of the 2020 NFL season; he just went straight to work. He put up a stat line of 1,150 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his first season.

Cooks put up similar numbers in his second season, recording 1,037 receiving yards and, once again, six touchdowns. His third and final season could have been more productive, as he was battling injuries and poor QB play.

The 29-year-old still racked up 699 receiving yards and three touchdowns for the year. He was moved to the Dallas Cowboys in the 2023 off-season.

Is Brandin Cooks among the best wide receivers of his generation?

Yes, Brandin Cooks is undoubtedly one of the best wide receivers of his generation, as once upon a time, he was one of the most feared pass catchers in the league.

He achieved this thanks to his rapid pace and knack for being in the right place at the right time. He was a top-five WR for quite some time, alongside DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, and Mike Evans.

Cooks played in back-to-back Super Bowls, eclipsed 1,000 yards in four straight seasons, and has twice been traded for a first-round pick. An underrated legacy doesn't get more significant than that.