Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
In the first round of Reuter’s draft, the Kansas City Chiefs pull the first of a few surprises, eschewing any quarterback or even a move for a cornerback or pass rusher in the hopes of grabbing the next Jamaal Charles. Reuter writes:
"The Chiefs might believe Cook is worth a late-first-round pick because of his quickness and vision, even with the off-field issues, shoulder injuries, and fumbling he displayed at FSU."
The concerns are many with Cook, much more in quantity than with other troubled prospects like Joe Mixon, although none of the alleged incidents are as jarring as domestic violence. That said, Cook will need to prove to Andy Reid and John Dorsey that he’s moved beyond the lapses in judgment and character concerns of his youth and even his collegiate years at Florida State.
The reason that Dorsey would go ahead and pull the trigger on a player with a checkered past like Cook is that his on-field production is really that good. The Chiefs have only Spencer Ware to rely upon in the backfield and he faded down the stretch. The running game is a central component to Reid’s offense in that the pass catcher needs to be a threat in space, a potential pass catching option and a back who can move the chains as normal. Cook can do all of that and more, providing Ware with a nice tandem partner to keep defenses honest.
Cook left FSU as the all-time rushing leader despite only playing three seasons. Last year, he had 288 carries for 1,765 rushing yards. He also ran for 19 touchdowns for the second straight season.