Dalvin Cook was a star during his college days with the Florida State Seminoles. In fact, he was so good that when he left for the NFL, he was the school’s all-time leading rusher and still is to this very day. The Minnesota Vikings drafted Dalvin in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft with the 41st overall pick. Dalvin spent the first six seasons of his NFL career in Minneapolis and became a key part of their offensive attack. Just a few months ago in June, the Vikings announced they were releasing him which meant they were turning to Alexander Mattison as their next starting Running Back. With Dalvin being a Florida boy, many thought he would sign with the Miami Dolphins. I remember saying he would’ve been the perfect fit in Buffalo with the Bills and his brother James plays there as well. Dalvin will be playing in the AFC East this year. He’s signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets.
When healthy, he’s one of the best Running Backs in the league. What makes Dalvin so special is his ability to find space in any lane provided for him, even if it’s the tiniest lane, he will still find a way to get through and make something happen with the football in his hands. He finds his space and once he begins to accelerate, you never know who’s going to catch him. Dalvin is a hard runner that is always looking to move downhill and if you are in his path, he will run you over without any thoughts or hesitations. Although he might be powerful as a runner, he can also display the shiftiness to maneuver himself in space. It doesn’t matter where the football might be lined up, you feed Dalvin the ball and he’s a threat to take it all the way to the house. That’s how scary he is in the open field. He’s also very explosive and dynamic meaning he can change gears which allows him to plant that foot down, cut on a dime and power himself with speed that surprises people. Dalvin is a Running Back that doesn’t quit. You may hit him or take him down a few times as a defender, but he perseveres himself which allows him to get stronger as the game goes on. He’s also a versatile threat out the backfield and what I mean by that is he can catch the football and make magic happen in the open field. When I think of his ability as a pass catcher, a game last season against the Indianapolis Colts comes to mind. Kirk Cousins found Dalvin on a swing screen, then he catches the ball and takes it all the way to the end zone for a touchdown. He impacts the game in so many ways.
The Jets have had quite the off-season this year with acquiring Aaron Rodgers, extending Quinnen Williams and now adding Dalvin to their offense. This gives the Jets a dynamic tandem in the backfield with Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook. This also means Dalvin will team up with Aaron now. For years, they faced each other as NFC North rivals when the Vikings and Packers faced one another. Now, they’ll compete together and try to win.
