2019 NFL Draft Guide Player Profile: Dalvin Cook

In 2017, rookie running back Dalvin Cook was on the cusp of fantasy stardom. In just four games, he amassed 74 carries for 354 yards with two touchdowns, and also caught 11 balls on 16 targets for 90 yards. However, in the blink of an eye, his season was over as he tore his anterior crucial ligament. While returning from the knee issue, Cook battled a soft tissue injury – damn hamstring—and that definitely limited him over the course of the season. However, he was able to end the season on a higher note, and with a full offseason to recover from the injuries of the yesteryears, there is plenty of optimism surrounding Cook for the 2019 season.

The final three weeks of the season were excellent for Cook. He rushed for the seventh-most yards during that span, and his 5.4 yards per carry during that span blows his season mark out of the water. Furthermore, the way he was running the ball showcased that he was healthier than ever over the final weeks of the season. Only Derrick Henry avoided/broke more tackles than Minnesota’s young running back, per Pro Football Focus.

With all of that in mind, it should come as no surprise that over the last three weeks last season, Cook was a RB1. Yes, despite the overall pessimism and disappointment surrounding his 2018 season, Cook did have some bright spots. Furthermore, he was a RB1 over the final seven weeks of the season. Yes, he may not have lived up to his average draft position (ADP), but for nearly half of the season, Cook was a top-10 running back! Who woulda thunk it!? Yes, to counter that, he wasn’t a top-10 back for the other half of the season, but coming back from injury, dealing with hamstring issues, we can cut the guy a little bit of slack.

Further reason for optimism coming into the season is that Kevin Stefanski, the Offensive Coordinator for the Vikings the last three weeks of 2018, is returning as OC in 2019. Did we know what to expect from him? Not quite, but do we now? Yes. Take a look at the numbers under Stefanski’s reign as OC, compared to the 14 weeks when he was in his previous role.

Interesting, huh? Cook is going to be the lead back in an offensive regime that is likely going to run the football early and often to help lessen the load on the fully guaranteed shoulders of the wealthy Kirk Cousins . Sure, Cook cannot take all of the carries, but he’s assuming he’s healthy, he could tote the rock close to 20 times per game. I like the sound of that!

Also benefitting Cook is the fact that there are other talented skill players around him. It’s very hard for the opposition to load the box when consensus top-20, or even top-15, receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are split out wide. Hence, Cook only faced a loaded box (eight or more defenders) 18.05 percent of the time in 2018, per Next Gen Stats. If the Minnesota offensive line improves in 2019, which it should with the addition of Josh Kline and drafting of Garrett Bradbury, Cook is poised to potentially be a bell cow back in a good offense.

Jerick McKinnon left for San Francisco a year ago. Latavius Murray is now in New Orleans. Behind Cook, we are looking at rookie Alexander Mattison and Detroit castoff Ameer Abdullah . Is that the sound of you licking your lips at this potential opportunity for fantasy stardom in 2019? Oh, it’s not you? Well it should be!

There are some injury concerns, sure, but Cook has every opportunity to be a RB1 in 2019. He practically ended the last half of the 2018 season as one, and with improvements to his health, the offensive game planning under Stefanski’s run-oriented protocol and new additions on the offensive line, Cook could be a bargain at his current price.

Statistical Credits:
profootballfocus.com
pro-football-reference.com
nextgenstats.nfl.com