Cook was a high school All-American and three-time All-District selection at Lamar High School in Houston, Texas. He was a four-star cornerback recruit coming out, with offers from over two dozen teams across the SEC, Big 12 and Big 10. Ultimately, he chose to commit to the University of Texas after visiting the campus in Austin, along with trips to LSU and Ohio State.
He started his career at Texas playing special teams and cornerback before transitioning to a more versatile role in the secondary. He earned an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2022 along with the Fred Jacoby Sportsmanship Award at the 2022 Alamo Bowl.
Stats
Texas (2018-2022): 60 games played with 27 career starts. 168 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 11 passes defended, one fumble recovery and three forced fumbles.
Combine & pro day results
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 188
40-yard dash: 4.63s
Vertical: 34 inches
Broad: 125 inches
Bench: 12
3-Cone: 6.97s
Short Shuttle: 4.31s
Highlights & film
Great scramble by @OU_Football QB Jalen Hurts (@JalenHurts) but a perfectly placed hit by @TexasFootball DB Anthony Cook (@_ACook21) leads to the fumble and Texas recovery.#WNSFilm pic.twitter.com/op8XDh8Yj1
— Brandon Olsen (@WNS_Brandon) October 15, 2019
Here is the Anthony Cook hit that forces a fumble & Texas recovery.
I can’t tell if Dekkers knee is down or not #HookEm | @Horns247 pic.twitter.com/lcn0AjDE4N
— Hudson Standish (@247Hudson) October 15, 2022
Anthony Cook with the Sack and Scoop!!
Texas’ defense comes up with a HUGE play!! pic.twitter.com/e8AzZDcH5p
— Sports Talk Central (@SportTalkCenter) October 2, 2021
Anthony Cook started most of this game as a true freshman vs that 3-headed monster at WVU of Sills, Jennings, & Simms. Had WRs on 🔒 pic.twitter.com/aRg9Psx7EX
— Imagine Losing 49-0 (@Doc_Texas) August 12, 2021
Fit with the Chiefs
It’s going to be a tough climb for any safety in Kansas City, short of an injury-plagued year like 2018 when Daniel Sorensen & Eric Berry were replaced by Eric Murray, Ron Parker and Jordan Lucas. Based on draft status and pay, you’re probably looking at four roster locks at safety for the Chiefs: Justin Reid, Bryan Cook, Mike Edwards and Chamarri Conner.
What Cook has going for him coming out of Texas is his versatility, starting his career at outside corner, then playing traditional safety and the “Star” position. He showcased the ability to play snaps in the box, at free safety and even aligned at nickel corner for the Longhorns defense in 2022. I don’t know that he has the requisite athleticism to continue having that level of defensive versatility in the NFL.
Cook should, however, be able to carve out a role on special teams. He played over 600 snaps on special teams during his collegiate career, including kick coverage, punt coverage, kick return, punt return, field goal and extra point block units. That extensive amount and range of contributions are sure to get the attention of coordinator Dave Toub.
Cook will need a strong training camp and preseason if he’s to make the 53-man roster or become a candidate for the team’s practice squad in 2023. The fact that he has no career interceptions in five seasons at Texas is worrisome, and showing that aspect of his game will be critical. There’s no question about his size, physicality or quickness, but he will need to show ball production and long speed if he’s to make it in Kansas City.
2023 UDFA Spotlight Series
| Position | Player | School | Estimated release date |
| S | Isaiah Norman | Marshall | 5/31 |
| RB | Deneric Prince | Tulsa | 6/2 |
| CB | Ekow Boye-Doe | Kansas State | 6/5 |
| OT | Jason ‘Chu’ Godrick | International | 6/7 |
| LB | Isaiah Moore | NC State | 6/12 |
| OG | Jerome Carvin | Tennessee | 6/19 |
| CB | Reese Taylor | Purdue | 6/21 |
| WR | Nikko Remigio | Fresno State | 6/23 |
| S | Anthony Cook | Texas | 6/26 |
| CB | Kahlef Hailassie | Western Kentucky | 6/28 |
| C | Anderson Hardy | Appalachian State | 6/30 |
| EDGE | Truman Jones | Harvard | 7/4 |
| LB | Cam Jones | Indiana | 7/6 |
