Florida St. RB Dalvin Cook early NFL Draft scouting report

Early scouting notes on Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, who had a monster season in 2015 as a sophomore. Could he wind up as a 1st rounder?

There’s no question that Dalvin Cook one of the most dynamic playmakers in all of college football, but what is his NFL potential?

As it goes with most college football running backs these days, the third year is typically the final season we get to see them all before they bolt for the NFL, so there’s a better than good chance that 2016 will be Cook’s final one in Tallahassee with the Florida State Seminoles.

After a breakout junior season where he had 20 total touchdowns and led the ACC with 1,691 rushing yards, Cook has himself on every pre-season All-American list, Heisman watch list, Doak Walker watch list, and everything in between.

The All-ACC performer had over seven yards per carry last year and showed a dynamic skill set as a runner.

Listed at 5-11, 202 pounds, Cook is already right about the ideal size for an NFL running back, though you might ask him to put on maybe five-ten pounds if you feel like durability will be a concern at that size. You don’t want to do it at the expense of his speed and quickness, however, which might be unparalleled in this class.

Cook has the ability to break tackles, but he also has the ability to just flat out burn you with speed deep down the field. He makes cuts on a dime and accelerates upfield in a hurry, leaving defenders in the rear-view.

He’s extremely effective on zone plays that stretch out to the tackles and beyond. He has patience to wait for the hole to open up, but he also has the suddenness to explode through an opening when he sees it, and he’s a threat to score any time he gets a sliver of daylight on the perimeter.

Very few defenders appear capable of bringing him down in the open field. It takes a convoy to get him down seemingly every time he touches the football. His ‘see-ya’ speed combined with quickness and the way he breaks tackles indicates to me that he’s the entire package you’re looking for at the running back position.

Anytime a guy like this excels so much at running on the perimeter, we tend to wonder how effective he can be inside the tackles. I think because of how good he is in space, he’s going to tend to try and create those openings whenever he can. You’d love to see him attack the interior, but it’s hard to blame him for trying to kick hopeless inside runs outside the tackles.

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That is something he’s going to have to be coached on, but it’s not that he’s ineffective on inside runs.

One thing that Cook is also really good at that goes underrated is his pass catching ability. I think in terms of teams needing versatility from your backs in the league nowadays, Cook is going to be able to provide that. He is obviously dangerous in space, but with some coaching on routes, he’ll be able to consistently get himself open against linebackers and slot defensive backs with his elite quickness.

This is an elite level player. With some more seasoning, NFL scouts are only going to be more and more enamored with his skillset. God-willing, he will stay healthy for his junior season and produce like he did as a sophomore, giving scouts the opportunity to see even more of his versatile skills as a receiver out of the backfield and a guy who can finish runs on the inside.

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