If the Denver Broncos do not re-sign Melvin Gordon, the team will probably select a running back during the NFL draft this month.
One of the top RBs in this year’s class is Georgia’s James Cook, and the Broncos are doing their homework. Cook has had (or soon will have) an official pre-draft visit with Denver, according to the Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline.
Cook is the younger brother of Minnesota Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook.
Playing in a shared backfield with Zamir White — who is also considered a top RB this year — Cook rushed 113 times for 728 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Cook also caught 27 passes for 284 yards and four scores in 2021, helping Georgia win a national championship.
Cook (5-11, 190 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds and posted a 33-inch vertical jump at the combine earlier this offseason. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Cook to Darrynton Evans, who was a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
Mock drafts expect Cook to go off the board sometime between the second and third rounds of the draft, where the Broncos currently own pick Nos. 64, 75 and 96. Rounds two and three will be held on April 29.
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