Rookie Profile: Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State

This past winter saw plenty of watercooler arguments about whether Dalvin Cook or Leonard Fournette should be the first player off the board in rookie drafts. Then the combine happened, making Corey Davis, who didn’t even participate, a popular pick. Some weeks later, Christian McCaffrey has entered the conversation, especially as rumors circulate about him being in play in the early part of the first round of the NFL draft. With a four man race at the top, it is my job to help you decide where Mr. Cook belongs.

Entering this profile, I had the question many of you do: How could the combine numbers betray the film in such a massive way? It isn’t often a player with such an explosive track record who is described as “sudden in his movement” ends up with ninth percentile burst and agility scores. We should all be forgiven for wondering what the hell is going on here. I took that wonderment with me to the film room.

With the disclaimer in mind that I am not a professional film watcher analyst person guy, I do think I’ve gained a measure of clarity on the situation. Perhaps I’ve just reached the reasoning stage of my grief, but hopefully through the power of YouTube we can reach some sort of understanding together.

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At :50 we get a replay of a solid run by Cook, but what really stood out was the astute comment from the announcer about how Cook runs with tempo as well as anybody in the country. For me, that includes backs already in the NFL. His patience isn’t Le’Veon Bell level, but it isn’t incomparable to the guys just under the NFL’s unquestioned leader in letting plays develop. It is here I should mention Bell, who is admittedly bigger than Cook, also struggled with the vertical, short shuttle, and broad jump.

Now let’s skip to 2:12 where Cook makes a first cut behind the line of scrimmage, another in the opposite direction as he crosses it, before finally cutting a third time on his way to a big gain. Clearly we aren’t looking at LeSean McCoy here, but his footwork and technique is outstanding. That he maintains strong forward momentum throughout is huge, propelling through the holes before they can close.

In fact, his maintaining of that forward momentum is a theme I saw often in the three games I watched for this article. In this regard, he reminded me of Tevin Coleman, another back who has a bit of hip tightness. Unlike Cook, Coleman didn’t run anything other than the 40 for scouts, but my hunch is he would have displayed similarly disappointing numbers to our subject.

Speaking of Falcons’ running backs, if you look at the play that starts at 7:30, you may mistake Cook for Devonta Freeman. The spin move, vision, and ability to navigate traffic in tight spaces is something that makes both of these players special. In lock step with Cook’s patience, his vision and footwork are the hallmarks of his film throughout his time at Florida State. Yes, I see the faster than his 40 time would suggest second gear, but in a Freeman-esque way, it is Cook’s ability to anticipate and react that makes him special.

I am building to a point here, but before I make it, take a look at what a short shuttle and three cone drill look like.

After watching Cook play, the poor combine times make more sense than ever. They also worry me far less. Because he runs with more of a forward leaning style with cuts set up by his ability to anticipate a defense, he doesn’t need to be able to explode from a stop like some others do. Instead, he keeps up a head of steam while making cuts, something explosion drills don’t account for.

If I can give one more comp, Cook plays a like a souped up C.J. Anderson. Anderson posted pitiful timed drills, but when you watch him play, you’d think the exact opposite. It is his ability to see a play unfold faster than others that makes him quick. He is football fast, not stopwatch fast. There is a very real, tangible difference and it is at least as valid as running around orange cones for guys holding stop watches.

I knew going in that my job for this article was to at least attempt to reconcile what we thought about Cook in January versus what we saw in Indianapolis for the combine. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything else to talk about. As we wind down this profile, let’s have a quick look at some stats.

Statistics from sports-reference.com.

That is a whole heaping hog trough full of touches, yards, and touchdowns. The counting stats weren’t only accumulated against scrubs either. In Cook’s 13 career healthy games against ranked opponents he averaged 23 touches, 154 yards, 6.02 YPC, and a score.

One thing we don’t see here are an embarrassing 13 fumbles on 966 career touches. An average of one for every 74 times he handled the ball, that rate would put him among the most butterfingered running backs in the NFL. The stats also don’t show inconsistent hands, as Cook lets the ball get into his body more often than you’d like, especially on short, quick passes. Drops are an overrated stat, but rookies who come in and let balls bounce of their chest can lose the confidence of their coaches and quarterbacks.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Cook has had his share of legal troubles and injury issues. It should be noted he has never been convicted of a crime, but it is also hard to believe he has just been in the wrong place at the wrong time on four different occasions. I am not going to speculate on the odds he will find his way into trouble. It is up to you on how much of a stomach you have for this stuff.

I saved the worst part of this profile for last. This was by design, as I also think it is the least important part. (No offense meant to Mock Draftable or Player Profiler who both provide an invaluable service to our community.)

I’m not saying anybody should ignore Cook’s Mock Draftable or Player Profiler pages. I’m not even saying the numbers on them don’t suggest there may be a cap to Cook’s ultimate upside. What I am trying my damnedest to relay is they aren’t a death knell and that if you spend some time watching his film looking for an answer as to how they are what they are, you may find one.

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