Rookie Report Card: Dalvin Cook and DeShone Kizer
Each week throughout the season, I’ll cover at least two rookies in the Rookie Report Card and try to always include the biggest performers from that particular week. On top of reviewing my expectations for each player coming into the league and covering how he’s performed at the NFL level to this point, I’ll actually give him a grade in three categories. Those categories are performance to date, 2017 potential and long term upside.
The series continues with a look at Dalvin Cook and DeShone Kizer.
Dalvin Cook, RB MIN
Week Three Stats: 27 carries, 97 rushing yards (3.6 YPC), one touchdown, five receptions, 72 receiving yards (five targets)
In most draft classes, Dalvin Cook would’ve been a lock as a top-two pick in dynasty rookie drafts. Because there was so much talent in this one though, dynasty owners everywhere were picking him in the middle of the first round.
What a gift!
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Cook was a man among boys at Florida State, averaging 6.5 yards per carry and piling up 46 touchdowns in his three seasons in Tallahassee. Showing elite vision and patience, he is impressive behind at the line of scrimmage, using subtle jukes and slide steps to set up blocks and create running lanes. With incredible quickness, he capitalizes on those seams by putting his foot in the ground and changing directions before blasting through the hole.
At the second level, Cook displays the rare combination of power and speed. His authoritative running style and incredible balance allows him to power through arm tackles from linebackers and his quick feet make him dangerous for safeties coming downhill in run support.
Just as impressive as a perimeter runner as he is between the tackles, and talented out of the backfield as a pass catcher, Cook profiled as a three down tailback coming out college. He only slipped to the second round of the NFL draft due to off the field concerns.
It’s difficult to admit it now but when Cook was drafted by the Vikings, who already had Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon in place, my enthusiasm for the rookie paused momentarily. Not knowing how Minnesota would employ their three tailbacks, I moved Cook from the top spot of my rookie running back rankings.
That was a mistake.
Once the Vikings featured him in each of their pre-season games, it was obvious that Cook belonged among the top rookies drafted by dynasty owners and probably higher than he was being selected. Playing all three downs and featured as the primary playmaker on offense throughout the summer, it was clear that Minnesota’s coaching staff intended to use their rookie tailback as a fulltime player.
That usage – and success – has continued into the regular season as Cook ranks second in the NFL in carries per game (20.3), rushing yards per game (96.0) and 20-plus yard runs (4).
Week three was a big one for Cook. On top of carrying 27 times for 97 yards and his first professional score, he showed just how dynamic he could be as a pass catcher, hauling in five passes for 72 yards. His biggest catch came off play action in the fourth quarter where he slid into the flat after the play fake and made the catch. Although it appeared that safety Chris Conte had the angle on him and would hold him to around 10-yards, Cook turned on the jets and the defensive back hardly got a hand on him despite a diving attempt along the right sideline.
Already, Cook has shown he belongs in the RB1 conversation for fantasy owners. With a perfect blend of talent and opportunity, he’s a near lock for 20-touches per game and a threat to take any of those touches the distance in a blink.
If rookie drafts were to be held today, it’d be difficult not to take Cook with a top-two pick along with Kareem Hunt. He’s a rock solid hold for anybody lucky enough to have him and should push to become an elite RB1 in dynasty by year’s end.
DeShone Kizer, QB CLE
Week Three Stats: 22/47 passing, 242 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions, seven carries, 44 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
When DeShone Kizer announced he would forgo his senior year of college at Notre Dame to enter the 2017 NFL draft, I scratched my head. Having watched him four times in 2016, I didn’t think he was near ready to play on Sundays.
Despite having a cannon for an arm and what appears to be a nearly effortless delivery, Kizer showed glaring deficiencies in his game while in college that I felt strongly would become weaknesses NFL defensive coordinators would take advantage of at the next level.
Way too cautious in the pocket, Kizer would regularly stare down his first read as a Golden Domer. Staying on him far too long, it seemed as if he wanted the receiver to be wide open and wasn’t confident enough to release the ball if he had only a step on the defense. By the time he moved off his initial progression, the pocket was often collapsing and he was forced to bail from the pocket.
Even when he had open receivers, Kizer regularly appeared hesitant to get the ball out of his hands – particularly early in the receiver’s route. Whether it was lack of confidence in himself or the pass catcher, or another reason, it was maddening to watch him hold the ball only to feel (or see) the pass rush coming and quickly decide to become a runner and attempt to improvise a positive play rather than take the one that was there early.
Although he flashed big playmaking ability outside the pocket in college, Kizer took far too many sacks in his 23 starts and made some boneheaded mistakes after tucking the ball. His 19 interceptions over two seasons at Notre Dame included too many off-balance throws while trying not to take a sack and many misplaced balls thrown behind or over the head of open receivers.
Every time I watched him play in college, it was his scattershot accuracy, inconsistent decision making and insistence on holding the ball that overshadowed his big arm and impressive running style.
Despite my negative opinion of a lot of what he did on the field, I still held out hope that Kizer – and his rifle arm – would end up in a place where he could learn from the sideline behind a quality veteran quarterback.
Needless to say, when he landed in Cleveland in the second round of the draft I didn’t have high hopes for Kizer to ever become a quality dynasty asset.
Since that point, Kizer outplayed Brock Osweiler, Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan to win the Browns’ starting job. In his three starts he’s completed just 52.8% of his passes, averaged 215 passing yards per game and thrown seven interceptions to his three touchdowns. Meanwhile, he’s also ran for 29 yards a game and scored twice on the ground.
His numbers (eight turnovers in three games) tell the story of an overmatched rookie and despite finishing week three as a top-15 quarterback, Kizer didn’t show against the dismal Colts defense that he should be depended on by fantasy owners in even the deepest leagues.
I don’t own Kizer anywhere and have no intentions of trying to add him. In super-flex and 2QB leagues, there are backups throughout the NFL like A.J. McCarron, Jimmy Garoppolo .Patrick Mahomes and even Brett Hundley I’d much rather have on my dynasty roster.
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