Dalvin Cook was drafted to take over for Adrian Peterson with Vikings

It took Dalvin Cook only three years to become Florida State’s all-time leading rusher. Despite one of the most stacked resumes in the 2017 NFL draft, he still fell to the 41st overall pick, likely the result of a combination of off-field troubles, durability questions, and ball-security issues.

Now, the Minnesota Vikings are hoping he can live up to the lofty standard he set with the Seminoles and emerge as the top tailback in a stacked class.

The 5’10, 209-pound runner doesn’t have the bulk of Leonard Fournette or the versatility of Christian McCaffrey. Instead, he’s got a foundation of success and a track record of blowing away even the highest expectations, and the Vikings will hope he fills the hole left by the departure of Adrian Peterson.

Cook was a 1,000-yard rusher as a freshman at FSU and then increased his production even more, with back-to-back seasons with 19 touchdowns and at least 1,600 rushing yards, eventually breaking Warrick Dunn’s school career rushing record.

Cook’s scouting report is simple. He’s a home run threat every time he touches the ball.

He shredded Louisville in the play above, and defenders across the ACC can attest to his ability to break runs to the sideline and leave safeties in his dust. Once he finds a hole, he’s gone, as his overall stat profile shows.

Not only is Cook difficult to bring down, he’s a fast straight-line runner who understands angles and gives opponents the smallest possible window to tackle him. His numbers highlight that ability. He had three rushing plays of more than 70 yards in 2016 and four in 2015, leading the nation in both seasons in the category.

Cook’s junior season also displayed his ability to be a threat in the passing game. The elusive tailback doubled his receiving yardage from 244 to 488 last fall as he emerged as a true all-around threat.

With 14.8 yards per reception in 2016, Cook proved he is a force near the line of scrimmage who can also make plays downfield.

An average performance at the 2017 NFL Combine tempered a lot of enthusiasm. Cook ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash, slower than expected, and failed to grade out among the top performers in the rest of the event’s agility drills. That, combined with ball protection concerns (13 career fumbles), durability (torn rotator cuff in high school and front and back of his labrum while at FSU) and off-field concerns dropped him to the second round.

However:

In 2015, Cook was charged with misdemeanor battery after a woman accused him of punching her in the face. A jury found him not guilty.

Cook was arrested and charged with robbery as a juvenile in high school and arrested for firing and possession of a weapon at an event on school property.

He also picked up a charge of criminal mischief for a BB gun fight in 2014 and a citation for mistreatment of three puppies that he chained together.

Cook has been clean off the field since, so Vikings will be hoping that it’s a sign of maturity and that the running back will be able to put aside his history and avoid further accusations.

Cook may end up being the best running back in the NFL draft, and that would be a welcomed sight in Minnesota where rushing has been at a minimum as of late.

With Peterson missing most of the 2016 season due to injuries, the Vikings were dead last in rushing yards and yards per carry. Offensive line is still a concern and arguably the biggest problem for the team’s anemic ground attack, but Cook is paired with Latavius Murray to jumpstart the issue.

There are risks associated with Cook, but the Vikings’ first selection of the 2017 NFL draft is a big swing.