Why Dalvin Cook is primed to explode for the Vikings in 2019
By Chris Schad
He will run behind an improved offensive line
Recently for the Vikings, everything has seemed to revolve around the status of the offensive line.
In 2016, Minnesota had one of the worst lines in football and it torpedoed their 5-0 start into an 8-8 finish. The Vikings’ offensive line was better in 2017 and Minnesota made the NFC Championship. But then everything went quickly downhill in 2018 and the team’s blockers were brutal, once again, and the Vikings missed the playoffs.
To see this in action, the picture above illustrates the point. Too many times when Cook got the ball in his hands last season, he was immediately swallowed up in the backfield before he could do anything.
Even then, Cook was an expert at making the first guy miss as he ranked fifth among starting running backs last year in Pro Football Focus’ elusiveness rating at 81.9.
Such a stat makes you wonder what would happen if the first guy to get to Cook was further down the field. Among starting running backs in 2018, Cook also ranked ninth in PFF’s breakaway percentage, which determines how much of a runner’s yardage came from designed plays of 15 yards or more.
The Vikings thought of this and made upgrading the offensive line a priority this offseason. After a slow start, Minnesota added guard Josh Kline in free agency before using their first-round draft pick on center Garrett Bradbury and then guard Dru Samia in the fourth round.
With the Vikings also moving Pat Elflein to left guard, the interior of the offensive line should be much better than it was in 2018, meaning that Cook will have a fighting chance when Kirk Cousins hands him the football.