The Minnesota Vikings top rusher has a strong case as the best running back in the NFL.
In today’s NFL, nobody gets less respect than the running back position. With the success that the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots have had by shuffling running backs, the days of a true workhorse are gone. Last offseason, however, the Minnesota Vikings had a different approach to the position.
With Dalvin Cook heading into a contract year, the Vikings opted to give him a five-year, $63 million extension. Although he plays an important role in Minnesota’s offense, the deal was met with some resistance due to the current landscape of the league.
Even as the Vikings stand at 2-5 this season, Cook has proven his worth throughout the early stages of the contract. After a four-touchdown, 226-yard performance against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Cook is making a case that he’s the best running back in the NFL right now.
In this piece, we’ll look at some of the things that have made Cook one of the best at his position and why he should be considered the gold standard at a position that has dried up in recent years.
Cook gets more out of his runs than the average running back
One of the biggest reasons that running backs have been devalued in recent years is that coaches are better at scheming up front.
With athletic offensive linemen paving the way, the need for a special running back has diminished and several UDFAs such as Raheem Mostert, Damien Williams, and Austin Ekeler have risen to the top of the food chain.
For the Vikings, Dalvin Cook has a value that nobody else has in that he gets more than what his offensive line gives him. This season, Cook ranks fifth among qualifying running backs with 3.57 yards per carry after contact (via Pro Football Focus). This is a continuation of his improvement during his first three full seasons in the league where he had 3.02 yards after contact in 2018 (20th among qualifiers) and 3.06 yards after contact in 2019 (26th).
This comes in handy behind an offensive line that has seen its share of struggles since Cook arrived in Minnesota. With the annual “can he play guard?” meme playing out in front of him, all Cook has done is turn nothing into something.
This is something that his backup, Alexander Mattison hasn’t done consistently as he gained an average of 3.22 yards after contact last season (16th among qualifiers), but just 2.81 yards after contact this year (28th).
Getting more out of every run should put the Vikings in better situations, especially when they have the old school approach of running the ball on 2nd and 10.
Cook has a valuable role as a receiver
In today’s NFL, it’s not enough to be a force on the ground unless you’re a bulldozer like Derrick Henry. Even then, teams are evolving into passing offenses which means that if running backs are going to get paid like Dalvin Cook, they better be able to catch the ball and do something when it’s in their hands.
Cook passes the test here as he’s done most of his work in the screen game. While most of his targets have been behind the line of scrimmage, Cook knows what to do in the open field. His 11.6 yards after the catch per reception is tied for first (Jonathan Taylor) among qualifying running backs this season and he also led qualifying backs with 11.3 yards after the catch last year.
There’s a caveat to this stat because Cook isn’t involved in the passing game as much with just 14 receptions on the season. But it doesn’t mean he can’t do it. With Gary Kubiak’s system relying more on downfield passes and utilizing the receivers and tight ends, Cook doesn’t have the same opportunities as someone like Alvin Kamara or Ezekiel Elliott does.
It would be intriguing to see Cook on an offense such as the Kansas City Chiefs or New Orleans Saints, but the Vikings seem to do just enough to make him a dynamic threat on Sundays.
The running back position has been a wasteland in 2020
If there’s a flaw in Dalvin Cook’s game, it’s that he hasn’t been able to stay on the field. If you take Sunday’s performance into account, Cook did what he did coming off of a groin injury that kept him out of Minnesota’s Week 6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. But when you consider the current state of running backs, Cook seems to be doing just fine.
Christian McCaffrey is considered the top running back in the league, but he’s missed a number of games this season due to a high ankle sprain. Ezekiel Elliott can’t hang onto the football and he has seen his effectiveness drop each of the past two seasons after signing a monster contract with the Cowboys. Derrick Henry is great, but he doesn’t offer much in the passing game. Alvin Kamara is an all-around back, but he isn’t the between the tackles runner that Cook is.
Put everything together and Cook is the total package that other running backs have failed to be in 2020. This isn’t to say that Cook is suddenly going to invoke memories of 2012 Adrian Peterson, but on Sunday he sure did his best impersonation of the Vikings all-time leading rusher. By dominating at a level that required Kirk Cousins to throw the ball 14 times, Cook put the entire Minnesota offense on his back and willed them to victory.
Can Dalvin Cook reach 2,000 all-purpose yards in 2020?
The Minnesota Vikings running back set a goal of 2,000 all-purpose yards in 2020. But will things go his way to make that output a reality?
When healthy, Cook is the best running back in the NFL. If he can stay on the field, he’s an essential part of Minnesota’s success on offense.