The best days could be ahead for Minnesota Vikings tailback Dalvin Cook, who landed in the top-five of ESPN’s compiled list of the best running backs in the NFL.
This isn’t a list that’s simply pulled from one person’s brain in an effort to give the position some form of a ranking, either. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler gathered the opinions of at least 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players to decide the top-10 running backs heading into the 2022 season.
So in a list voted on by his peers, Cook was ranked as the No. 4 running back in the league behind Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor and Nick Chubb.
However, don’t be surprised if he moves up the list with a new head coach in Minnesota. Coach Kevin O’Connell’s intricate offensive play-calling combined with Cook’s versatility could take the league by storm.
“He needs to stay on the field. The whole team is different when he’s in there,” said an NFL offensive coach, via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “He’s great and can get even better with discipline as a runner and growing as a third-down receiver. I think he’ll show a more all-around game in a new offense.”
Cook’s positioning on this list is just a reminder of how much firepower the Vikings truly have on the offensive side of the ball.
Not only do they have one of the best running backs in the league, but they also have one of the best receivers as well in Justin Jefferson. That’s a rare and deadly combination at the skilled positions.
Cook potentially being utilized more as a receiver is the next evolutionary step in his game. He’ll get to experience that under O’Connell in his bid to prove he isn’t just one of the best.
This could be the season where he proves he’s simply the best.
