3 players the Minnesota Vikings could trade during the 2023 NFL Draft

Dalvin Cook

At first glance, Cook looks like a player the Minnesota Vikings would want to keep on the roster. After fighting off injuries for the first two years of his career, Cook has posted four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, joining Adrian Peterson and Robert Smith as the only players in franchise history to accomplish this feat.

But Cook’s stats don’t tell the entire story. According to Football Outsiders, Cook logged a success rate (how often a running back keeps an offense on schedule depending on down and distance) of 48 percent, which ranked 33rd among 42 qualifying running backs. Cook also ranked 36th in defense-adjusted value over average, suggesting he should have been more consistent considering the teams he was playing against.

Cook’s lack of efficiency hurt the Vikings’ offense but so does his five-year, $63 million extension signed prior to the 2020 season. With a $14.1 million cap hit, the Vikings would like to clear that money off the books while also getting younger and cheaper at the position.

At age 28, Cook’s days as a top-tier running back could be numbered and so could his opportunity to make top dollar. Cook’s camp is clearly aware of this as Cook underwent surgery to repair a shoulder injury suffered in 2019 to trigger a $2 million injury guarantee in his contract.

The guarantee has kept Cook on the roster for now but it hasn’t stopped teams from calling about his availability. With a recent report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero suggesting Cook “is making excellent progress” in his recovery, the calls could pick up again in the days leading to the draft.