RADIO
Dalvin Cook 2018 Outlook: Health Is Key
6 years agoAfter the Vikings decided to draft Dalvin Cook in the second round of the 2017 draft, it was hard to get a read on how that offense would utilize him, Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon. Cook quickly put this to rest though as he exploded for 127 rushing yards on 22 carries, the best performance from a Vikings rookie running back, including Adrian Peterson.
We only saw a sample of what Cook can do last season. Over the course of four games, Cook rushed for 354 yards and 4.78 yards per carry. Unfortunately, that was all we got to see before Cook went down with a knee injury that ended his season. What can we expect in 2018?
The issue with Cook has never been his talent, but his injury history. Even in college he had shoulder issues and was one of the reasons he wasn't drafted higher. Not only could Cook see great volume and efficiency on the ground, but he could also see an increase in his workload for the passing game. With McKinnon out of the picture, Cook will be the main passing catching back. To top that off, newly signed Kirk Cousins targeted either his running backs or tight ends 43% of the time during his three years as a starter in Washington. All of that, plus a healthy season, means Cook is in for a great year.
