Finally healthy and with Latavius Murray no longer in the picture, Dalvin Cook hasn’t been shy about what he thinks his role should be in Minnesota. He sees himself as a 3-down back that can pace the offense on the ground and be an option in the passing game as well. Also, the addition of Gary Kubiak to the Vikings offensive staff should provide Cook with a more defined and lucrative role in 2019. We got a quick glimpse into this role during Minnesota’s 3rd preseason game, when Cook took his 2nd and final carry of the game 85 yards to the house. Injuries have greatly decreased Cook’s impact over his first two seasons but he’s been great when healthy, racking up almost 1,400 total yards and 6 TDs in just 15 career games.
In addition to his obvious talent, Cook’s work ethic and leadership throughout training camp have his coaches incredibly excited for what’s to come. Offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski praised Cook’s growth last month, calling him a leader for their offense and adding, “Nobody works harder than him. He’s out here working his tail off. In the meeting rooms he is outstanding, so certainly Dalvin’s definitely a leader and somebody that we are lucky we have and excited what he’s about to do.”
Obviously Cook isn’t going to be breaking off 85-yard TD runs every week, so knowing that he’s putting in the work and establishing himself as a leader on his team should have fantasy owners feeling good about his volume in 2019.
Talent aside, Gary Kubiak’s zone blocking scheme could work wonders for Cook and the Vikings offense no matter who’s in the game. After all, this is the scheme that turned Justin Forsett (1,266 yards in 2011), Steve Slaton (1,288 yards in 2008), and Mike Anderson (1,487 yards in 2000) into capable NFL running backs; imagine how much a guy with Cook’s talent could thrive in it (see: Clinton Portis in 2002-03). Factor in Minnesota’s other offensive weapons that defenses need to worry about, and Cook could find himself in the perfect storm for a true RB1 showing in 2019.
The Wolf has taken note of these improvements in Cook’s Surrounding Talent and Coaching Scheme scores and currently has Cook ranked as his RB10 and 14th player off the board. He’ll still need to prove he can play a full season before he can become a reliable 1st round option, but everything else seems to be in place for an RB1 showing in 2019 for Dalvin Cook.
