The Skinny

At a svelte 6-5, 283 pounds, Curtis Cothran is one bad mother shut yo mouth.

The former Penn State defensive tackle/end reshaped his body before his Penn State pro day.

Not only did Cothran show off his strength, benching 225 pounds for 26 reps, he also posted a broad jump of 9-11 and a 40-yard dash time of 4.85.

With his new trimmed-down frame, Cothran seems like the perfect candidate to play the 5-tech in a 3-4 defensive front. He’s shown to be both strong and explosive and was a real pass rushing threat in the interior for Penn State last season. Teams could also ask him to bulk back buck up to 300-plus pounds where he played last year at the 3-technique.

Cothran was a honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2017 and it feels like there’s still room to grow and improve. While he’s likely never be a dominant force on the defensive line, he could well become a good rotation player.

What You’re Getting

A project.

Cothran will likely go in the seventh round or be an undrafted free agent, but I will be floored if he doesn’t find his way onto a roster this summer.

Coaches will love his body type and athleticism at his size, but it’s no secret that he still has a number of holes in his game which will keep him from making an immediate impact.

Cothran’s physical profile is similar to that of current Dallas Cowboys and former Iowa State Cyclones defensive end/tackle David Irving.

Irving, like Cothran could well do, entered the league in 2015 as an undrafted free agent and worked his way onto the Kansas City Chiefs roster before being traded to the Cowboys. He has steadily improved each season and had seven sacks in eight games in 2017.