Grade the Pick: Vikings Select RB Dalvin Cook at No. 41

Vikings Select RB Dalvin Cook
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

The Minnesota Vikings selected former Florida State running back Dalvin Cook with their second-round pick (41) in the 2017 NFL Draft. The move came after a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals that saw the Vikings move from  48 to 41 while giving up a fourth-round (128) pick.

Cook was ranked 14th on Vikings Territory’s consensus big board and the best player available at the time of his drafting. Despite adding Latavius Murray this offseason, the Vikings were in need of a long-term Adrian Peterson replacement. Cook appears to be that player after putting together a prolific career for the Seminoles.

CBS Sports compared the do-it-all back to Marshall Faulk, arguably the greatest multi-purpose running back in NFL history. While at Florida State, he rushed 687 times for 4,464 yards, scoring 46 touchdowns while adding nearly 1,000 receiving yards to his resumé. Last season, he rushed for a 1,765 yards and earned All-ACC honors in both starting seasons (2015 and 2016).

Although Cook was Dane Brugler’s top-rated running back, his off-field concerns knocked him down draft boards. His past run-ins with the law include robbery (2009), firing and possessing a weapon on school property (2010), and misdemeanor battery outside of a bar (2015).

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