Leonard Fournette would like a quick word with you, Dalvin Cook.
Cook, a former Florida State star who has decided to forgo his senior season, is projected by most NFL Draft analysts as a first-round pick. Based on his reasoning, Cook should probably be taken in the top 10 if not top five.
Dalvin Cook: "I am the best back in this class."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 2, 2017
Unfortunately for Cook, Fournette is the consensus best running back available. The former LSU star will likely be the first tailback off the board next month, with Cook going somewhere later in the round, perhaps closer to Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey. But if NFL teams are looking for confidence, Cook could be their man.
Florida State RB Dalvin Cook: "I feel like if I get put in the right system, I can do the same things that Zeke did."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 2, 2017
The Dallas Cowboys used the No. 4 overall pick on Ezekiel Elliott last year, and he did not disappoint. Cook is a bit smaller than Elliott, but the stats are there. He rushed for 1,765 yards with the Seminoles last year and added 33 receptions for 488 yards. That’s 6.1 yards per carry and 14.8 yards per reception. Those are certainly playmaker numbers.
As long as Cook can assure NFL teams that this epic mistake was a one-time thing, there’s a lot to like about him. Elliott proved last season that running backs can still be worth early draft picks. That should benefit guys like Fournette and Cook this year.
