After a phenomenal career at Florida State, running back Dalvin Cook was drafted with the 41st overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. While he has competition in Minnesota, he is a dynamic playmaker who, when given enough touches, can lead his team to victory. With Cook’s skill set, he is bound for a terrific rookie season in Minnesota.
Dalvin Cook Bound for Phenomenal Rookie Season
Résumé
At Florida State, Dalvin Cook amassed a number of awards and achievements in his three year college career. In that span, he amassed nearly 5,400 yards from scrimmage and rushed for over 1,000 yards every season at Florida State. This includes his freshman year in 2014, when he split carries with both Karlos Williams and Mario Pender. Cook was a first-team All-American in both 2015 and 2016, and won the Jim Brown Award in 2015. Cook won the 2016 Orange Bowl MVP for his performance in the Seminoles’ win over the Michigan Wolverines, and was the ACC Championship Game MVP in 2014.
What is even more impressive is that Cook battled through various injuries in both 2015 and 2016, yet still managed to put up tremendous numbers and help his team win football games. Cook managed to play through both injuries and off-field issues and, when needed to, carried the Seminoles on his back to victories.
Off-Field Issues
Cook dealt with a number of off-field issues during his time at Florida State. While found not guilty, he was accused of assaulting a woman outside of a Tallahassee bar. In addition, Cook was cited for mistreating puppies and was charged with criminal mischief for breaking car windows with a BB gun. Only time will tell to see if Cook has matured and can stay out of trouble, but his history of off-field issues stands as a potential obstacle in his way to achieving NFL success.
Latavius Murray
Another potential obstacle to Cook achieving NFL success from Week One comes in the place of the Vikings expected starting running back, Latavius Murray. Murray was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015 and has averaged at least four yards per carry in each of his three NFL seasons.
What may help Cook is the injury history of Murray. After all, Murray missed all of his rookie season in 2013 due to an ankle injury. Now, in 2017, Murray had ankle surgery in March. While he is expected to be ready by training camp, one must wonder if Murray will be 100 percent recovered from the surgery at that time. If Murray’s recovery period ends up being longer than expected, look for Cook to emerge as the top option in Minnesota after a strong offseason.
Conclusion
Overall, Dalvin Cook has the potential to be a dynamic playmaker for the Minnesota Vikings. While he will have to fight through a crowded depth chart for touches, Cook has the ability to earn touches as the season goes on and make the most of his time on the field. Cook is an incredibly skilled player, he just needs to stay healthy and get enough touches to make a big impact for the Vikings.
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