The Washington Redskins have held a couple of meetings with running back Dalvin Cook. The Florida State star seems to be firmly on their radar in the first round of the draft.
In less than two weeks, the NFL Draft will take center stage. One of the biggest events of the NFL offseason, the draft will see over 200 college players selected into the league. The 2017 NFL Draft is one of the deepest classes in a few years, and there figures to be a lot of strong players available in the first frame.
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One of them is Florida State running back Dalvin Cook. The fast and athletic Cook is a likely top 20 pick, but his stock has been sliding over the past couple of weeks. Some off-the-field concerns with Cook and some concerns about his workouts have pushed him to No. 3 among running backs, behind the uber-talented Leonard Fournette and the gritty athlete Christian McCaffrey. Cook is still a first round lock, but now he stands a chance of making it to the Washington Redskins pick.
This would have seemed unlikely just a month or so ago. Cook seemed to be trending closer to the top 10, but the Redskins were always linked to him. The team needs a true workhorse running back, and Cook has the potential to be one at the next level. Now, landing him seems like a potential reality.
The Redskins recently held a pre-draft visit for Cook, according to Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com. In his prospect visits tracker, Cherepinsky lists the Redskins as having visited with Cook at the NFL Combine as well. Usually, meeting with a prospect twice is demonstrative of a high level of interest, so this could bode well for Cook.
What Dalvin Cook Brings To The Table
The most attractive thing about Cook is his speed and running ability. In a recent article outlining Cook as a potential Redskins first round target, our own Ian Cummings wrote the following:
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"[Cook] uses his uncanny athleticism to produce on a massive scale. His feet are always moving. This allows him not only to maintain dangerous balance, but also to adapt quickly to the unpredictability of the play. This balance and agility gives Cook consistent leverage, which he uses to keep himself upright and give himself more opportunities to make plays. Footwork is very important in football. Without proper footwork, it’s impossible to utilize the maximum amount of force and impact on a given play. Cook does not have this problem, however. He’s graceful, yet gritty on the field. This is a dangerous combination, a combination that opposing defenses generally don’t enjoy facing."
Cummings is absolutely right about the impact that Cook could have. His breakaway speed could put him in a similar class to DeAngelo Williams or Jamaal Charles. At the same time, he has the necessary toughness to thrive as an NFL running back and should be a really strong lead back.
Will Dalvin Cook Be Available At No. 17?
This is a question that is difficult to answer. Fournette and McCaffrey are both trending towards being top 10 picks at the moment. If both go in that range, then Cook may not make it to No. 17. The Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts are both looking for lead running backs, and they could decide that Cook is the best player on the board. For that reason, there is no guarantee that he will make it to their pick.
At the same time, with the character concerns surrounding Cook, he could be available for that pick. He may suffer a free fall, and he could fall into the low 20s at his floor. If things get worse for him, he could go even lower.
At the end of the day, the Redskins have to decide if Cook is the best player on the board. If they are tasked with choosing between him, a linebacker like Haason Reddick, a safety like Jabrill Peppers, or a potentially strong defensive lineman like Malik McDowell or Taco Charlton, they could have trouble deciding. Only time will tell what the Redskins will play to do with their first round pick.