Undrafted rookie Cole an emerging roster contender
Dylan Cole trusted his keys, reacting instinctively and aggressively to the New England Patriots’ cadence, shifts and playcalling.
During a mostly sterling performance, Cole demonstrated why he’s regarded as the prize of the Texans’ undrafted rookie class who’s emerged as a strong contender for a roster spot.
In the Texans’ preseason victory Saturday night at NRG Stadium, the former Missouri State All-American linebacker recorded a team-high 10 tackles with five solos and one pass defended.
Cole’s reaction to his second NFL preseason game was telling. He was far from satisfied, acknowledging a few mental errors and missed tackles against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Cole said he didn’t even check out his eye-popping stat line because he was too eager to study the film to observe what went wrong.
“I saw that I needed a lot of work,” Cole said after practice Monday. “I’ve got a lot of improving to do. We all understand that. I’ve got to stop making rookie mistakes. I’ve got to start acting like a vet.
“I’ve been around these guys for long enough. They’re teaching me the way. So, I’ve just got to get into the playbook a little bit more, understand what I need to do and tackle a little bit better.”
Overlooked gem
When the Texans signed Cole, he was their largest investment financially among their undrafted rookies. Cole was given $27,000 in guaranteed money as part of his $1.665 million contract, including a $12,000 signing bonus, and the Texans guaranteeing $15,000 of his base salary.
Midway through the preseason, the Texans are pleased with how Cole has been developing as a reserve linebacker and potential core special-teams contributor.
They like his athleticism, toughness, how quickly he digests constructive criticism and his intelligence.
“He did a good job,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “He made a lot of plays. He was active. He’s a good, tough, young player.”
The Texans faced competition for Cole as an undrafted free agent. He declined offers from the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins, among others, because he preferred the opportunity with the Texans.
Cole was named the top linebacker in the nation among Football Championship Subdivision schools by athletic directors last season. With 152 tackles, he was also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan award given to the nation’s top FCS defenisve player.
Although Cole was named to six different AllAmerican teams and led all FCS players in tackles per game, he was snubbed when it came time to hand out invitations to the NFL scouting combine.
Cole decided to send out a video on social media of him bench pressing 225 pounds 32 times to ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., along with the official NFL website. The amount of reps topped the number of any linebacker invited to the combine.
His vertical leap of 39 inches was also better than any linebacker at the combine. And the 6-1, 240-pounder’s 4.52 time in the 40-yard dash would have ranked fifth among all linebackers at the combine.
‘Tough transition’
As mobile and strong as Cole is, he emphasized that it’s been a difficult adjustment for him coming from a much smaller level of football to the NFL.
“To be honest, it’s a pretty tough transition,” Cole said. “It was a little tougher than I thought it would be. I thought I was football savvy until I got here. It really humbled me and made me understand I got to get in the playbook and see how much better I can be.
“I see my potential. The good thing is, I’m not even close to it. I’m making some strides in camp. I’ve got to make further steps to get on this 53 (regular-season roster) and help this team win the Super Bowl.”
A former all-state running back in high school from Springfield, Mo., Cole had three tackles against the Carolina Panthers. He returned a fumble for a touchdown, but it was overturned after the play was ruled an incompletion.
Cole takes sound pursuit angles and is fast enough to chase down running backs in the open field.
Tacking is Cole’s trade, so he wasn’t too pleased to have a few Patriots elude his grasp.
“There were a few plays out there to be made,” Cole said. “I made some, and I missed some. I’m always looking to improve. I knew there were some good plays out there. We see it. We acknowledge it, and we move on.
“You need to calm down. You’re playing in the NFL. It’s one of those dreams come true, but you need to be in the moment and play. Mental errors and missed tackles. For sure, there were two that were pretty blatant. I’m a defensive player. I’ve got to be able to tackle.”