Dalvin Cook – RB (2017)
The Vikings stole Dalvin Cook in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. They didn’t have a first-round pick that year after trading for Sam Bradford before the start of the 2016 season due to Teddy Bridgewater‘s horrific knee injury.
Cook was expected to be a first-round pick in 2017, but there were teams who had some concerns about him and he fell down the board. Whoever got those rumors and concerns going should get a huge thank you from Minnesota, as Cook is now one of the best running backs in the league.
Sure, he’s had some durability issues and he has yet to complete a full 16-game schedule, but when he’s at 100% health, Cook is one of the most dynamic backs in the NFL.
Cook can cut on a dime and also display great patience while he waits for a hole to open up. He runs with power, but he also has an explosive top gear and he is truly a threat to score every time he touches the football. He’s every bit as dangerous as a pass-catcher as he is a rusher, which makes him a hard player to take off of the field.
Minnesota will have to make a decision about Cook this offseason about his contract. If they want to extend him and make him a Viking for life, they could be looking to get something done sooner than later.
Cook is worth a lot of money due to his playmaking ability. But his injury history could end up keeping that cost to a reasonable and affordable level for Minnesota.