Dalvin Cook falls in recent mock draft to bottom of first round

Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook (4) runs the ball in the first quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook (4) runs the ball in the first quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NFL Draft is constantly full of surprises, but a fall out of the top 25 picks for Florida State running back Dalvin Cook would be a real shock…

Dalvin Cook is certainly one of the top playmakers in the entire class of 2017, but could he be in for a fall on draft night?

If you ask me, it’s not all that likely, but if the NFL still doesn’t value running backs as highly as it ought, it’s certainly a possibility, no matter how remote. That possibility was recently explored by NFL.com draft guru Lance Zierlein, who penciled in Cook to the Kansas City Chiefs with the 27th pick overall in his latest mock draft. Zierlein explained:

"Cook is a really talented football player, but he could drop a little because running back just isn’t a priority position like it used to be…"

Zierlein goes on to compare Cook to current Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, who could find himself a free agent this offseason due to the Chiefs’ current cap situation. If Charles makes his way out of Kansas City, it would certainly pave the way for a player like Cook, but the real story here is the number of teams that would have to pass on this kind of talent for the Chiefs to be able to get him at pick no. 27.

That just doesn’t seem likely to me.

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When you look at the way rookie running backs performed this past season, even in a deep class of players, someone like Cook should be highly valued. There’s really nothing he doesn’t do well on the field, at least nothing that would prevent me from using a first round pick on him. He has the ability to be a game-changing back at the next level.

If there are concerns with Cook off the field, and that’s possible, I could see him falling a bit on draft night, but even this seems excessive. There would have to be something more recent pop up, or some questions about Cook’s character in the interview process to lead to such a fall in the first round.

It would certainly be a coup for the Chiefs, but I don’t think Kansas City fans should be printing up any Cook jerseys. This one is probably not happening…