Vikings

2017 NFL Draft: Minnesota Vikings Trade Up, Select RB Dalvin Cook

Sam Ekstrom contributed to this report.

The Minnesota Vikings have traded up to the 41st pick from the Cincinnati Bengals, giving up one of their two fourth-round picks, the 128th overall to move up from 48. They did that in order to select Dalvin Cook, running back from Florida State.

Once thought of as the top running back in the draft, a poor workout at the NFL Combine and a relatively poor showing at his pro day meant that he fell off the radar for a number of evaluators and teams.

Beyond that, Cook has a number of off-field incidents that may have scared away front offices. In 2014, he drew a few citations for chaining his puppies together (resulting in a $550 fine), an arrest for a BB gun incident that left car windows broken and was arrested in 2015 for battery charges after he was accused of hitting a woman at a Tallahassee bar—ostensibly involved mostly to break up a fight.

A jury found Cook not guilty as a number of witnesses testified that he hadn’t punched the woman accusing him, evidently a quick verdict.

General manager Rick Spielman said the Vikings did extensive research into Cook’s background, and Spielman even spoke with Cook for 45 minutes Friday morning to ask him some “pointed question.”

“[Cook] knows Xavier [Rhodes], he knows Teddy [Bridgewater], he knows some very quality people here, and I think with our locker room and the support staff we have in place here, I think this kid has really, really matured over the last couple years,” Spielman said, “and we have no concerns at all about him being a Minnesota Viking.”

For those interested in a more detailed, albeit sympathetic breakdown of Dalvin Cook’s off-field issues, the MMQB’s Robert Klemko has the story.

But during his freshman year at FSU, Cook became known to Tallahassee law enforcement on three occasions. He was charged with criminal mischief after a June BB gun incident that resulted in broken car windows. Also that summer, police cited him for mistreating puppies when, according to a citation issued by Tallahassee Animal Services, a state animal control officer observed “three puppies… tethered directly around the neck by a heavy chain. The dogs were unable to move and the smaller puppies were choking. I had to remove them for their safety.” That July, according to an ESPN report, Cook was named as an “associate” in an assault case of two men the Tallahassee police investigated for allegedly brandishing a firearm at a neighbor; the incident took place at Cook’s apartment.

Scouts running down the list of Cook’s transgressions early at Florida State heard from assistant coaches close to Cook that they felt he’d turned a corner late in his career in terms of maturity. “Coach Vic at FSU would tell us that Dalvin finally grew up this year and was trying to get Miami thugs out of his life and stopped going home,” said one southeast area scout for an NFL team. “They would come to Tallahassee and Dalvin would text Coach Vic when they were at his house and [Vic would] tell them to leave and be the enforcer.”

That didn’t deter those putting together their big boards for the Consensus Big Board, where he ranked 12th overall.

Dalvin Cook ranked as Pro Football Focus’ second-most elusive running back, breaking 92 tackles on 288 rushing attempts. He was also highly-ranked as a pass-blocker for them, giving up nine pressures on 100 pass-blocking snaps.

Though he hadn’t demonstrated excellent pass-catching ability throughout his career, he improved significantly in his final season and earned 488 yards in the air, setting an FSU record for all-purpose yards.

“We felt that he was definitely one of the top two running backs in this class,” said Spielman, “and not only is he an explosive playmaker with the ball in his hands as a running back, he has great balance, great vision. I think watching him catch the ball in the backfield — and the explosive plays that he makes out of the backfield as a receiver — is another threat.”

As Spielman said, Cook demonstrates outstanding vision, balance and lateral agility, making him dangerous in zone schemes where he’s often just as liable to take cutback lanes to the house as he is to let plays develop and let his blocking win in front of him.

Importantly, for the Vikings, he did an extremely good job generating yards despite subpar run-blocking at an otherwise elite program. Though his combine numbers weren’t spectacular, his acceleration and long speed on film both look explosive.

Dalvin Cook has the second-highest yards after contact in the FBS in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, and the highest among draftable prospects

Despite some issues with his frame, he is decisive as a north-south runner and doesn’t give up runs by bouncing them outside. Not only that, he showcases more power than one would typically expect from someone of his frame, and his balance allows him to grind through arm tackles.

Also, there’s this: Dalvin Cook has the second-highest yards after contact in the FBS in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, and the highest among draftable prospects.

That might be why Cook has drawn comparables with Jamaal Charles and Marshall Faulk, though I think those comparisons have to be a little bit off given how much more advanced as route runners both of those were coming out of college. Still, it’s a good set of players to remind evaluators of.

There are concerns about Cook’s size and durability, but he has at least demonstrated just as much quick recovery throughout his career to match the nagging muscle injuries that have dogged him. He will have to answer questions about his shoulder injuries, but the Vikings certainly seem confident.

“I’ve never been around a guy who knew his body better than he did,” said Cook’s college coach Jimbo Fisher. “He’d be running and stop and pull up, and you’d think, ‘Oh, he pulled his hamstring.’

“He’d go, ‘No, Coach. It was just pulling.’ He’d stretch it out, go right back in the game and run for 200 yards in the game.”

The biggest concern about Cook are his fumbles. With 14 career fumbles in 763 touches, he’s been liable to let go of the ball a little too often and keeping the ball away from his body contributes to that problem in a big way. It’s possible that the Vikings could resolve this issue like they did for Jerick McKinnon, but one has to remember that they couldn’t for their last premier running back in Adrian Peterson. Spielman asserted that new running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu has a plan to improve Cook’s ball security.

It seems inarguable, however, that the Vikings got incredible value in Dalvin Cook, even if running back is lower on the list of needs than a few other roles.

Just days after losing the face of the franchise in Adrian Peterson, Cook represents the future at the running back position. “Growing up watching Adrian Peterson, one of the great running backs I’ve ever watched, it was something special,” said Cook. “To be going to the team that he played for, it still feels unreal because Adrian Peterson’s a great back. I’m just going to come in and play hard and be the best Dalvin I can be.”

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