The NFL is a sociological funhouse mirror. I would call it a microcosm, but enough distortion exists to dispel that notion. How relevant is lineage when scouting professional football players? There are sons of former NFL players scattered about the league, their abilities ranging from fringe to All-Pro. The most glaring example of nepotism is in the Manning family. Father Archie paved the way for Peyton to be one of the greatest ever. Little brother Eli rode in on Peyton’s coattails from Ole Miss to the league and led two magical Super Bowl runs. Their nephew, Arch, is one of the most coveted high school recruits in a generation.

Dalvin Cook isn’t quite the Peyton Manning of running backs, but his little brother James is entering the NFL as an intriguing prospect out of the University of Georgia. James Cook is not even of the same archetype at the running back position as Dalvin was when he came out of Florida State. Even though they could pass for twins in public, the parallels diverge once they hit the football field.

James Cook is exciting in his own right. Although not built as sturdily as his older brother, he added 10 pounds already this offseason and would hold up well to adding muscle from NFL training regimens. His speed and agility are both traits where he shines over Dalvin. His 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine gave James a lifetime of bragging rights over his Pro Bowl-caliber big bro. One could credit Georgia’s never-ending stable of blue chips at running back for his versatility as a player and his relatively low mileage. James only surpassed ten carries in five games at Georgia, thanks to sharing the load with D’Andre Swift and Zamir White.

James Cook Draft Profile

2022 NFL Draft Projected Round: 3

James Cook College Statistics

James Cook Dynasty Fantasy Analysis

For every question mark surrounding James Cook’s prospects of becoming a productive NFL running back for fantasy, a parallel exists with currently successful NFL backs that eases my concerns. Nobody is scouting Cook as an every-down, bell-cow running back. There aren’t even more than a half dozen backs in the league who can say they aren’t involved in some semblance of a committee. His pedigree as the nation’s 3rd-highest-rated running back coming out of high school is apparent in his football acumen, instincts, and awareness as a ball carrier. Cook is effervescent in the open field, with great burst and acute lateral agility. He wins with finesse and is a natural at creating tricky tackling angles. Some running backs make themselves appear bigger with their running style. Cook almost disappears from grasps by dropping his hips and preemptively turning his feet to change direction rapidly.

The only real weakness I saw from Cook was his propensity to go down on first contact. He isn’t the strongest runner, nor is his contact balance great. His vision in space is twice as good as it is between the tackles. Cook often opted to stretch zone runs further outside to keep full speed instead of pressing the edge and reading the zone leverage for an opportunity to plant his cut and get north and south. He is a wonderfully talented receiver with a route repertoire as versatile as any in this class. He catches naturally with his hands and arms extended away from his body, with his feet readily in position to run after the catch. This trait is missing from most of this class. Cook could end up as the preeminent PPR running back from the 2022 class.

Just as James decided to carve his own path by shunning his brother’s alma mater to run between the hedges, he enters the league on an entirely different trajectory. The lack of volume at Georgia benefits his prospects as an NFL talent. He is an adequate pass blocker and an excellent receiver out of the backfield. It would be a surprise to see him not earn snaps immediately in the NFL as a rookie. There is no shortage of NFL offenses who primarily run the zone blocking concepts where James has thrived. Some of the injury issues that have plagued Dalvin could be due to the cumulative effect of being on the business end of the punishing demands of a collision sport.

James appears to be in the Day 2 conversation for the NFL Draft. His skill set is very desirable for NFL teams and merits immediate committee work, with opportunities to earn a heavier share through his performance. Dynasty managers should target Cook in the second round of their rookie drafts, understanding that he is not dependent upon his landing spot as some of the other backs in this draft class. An ideal landing spot would be alongside Elijah Mitchell (RB – SF) in San Francisco. The loss of Raheem Mostert (RB – MIA) leaves a void in the receiving department out of the backfield, which was an underlying reason for Deebo Samuel’s (WR – SF) peculiar workload in the second half of the 2021 season.

Player Comp – Tarik Cohen (RB – FA) (but taller)

Cohen was a menacing force in Chicago as a change-of-pace back for a smaller back, even peaking as RB11 in PPR formats during the 2018 season. Cook has the same 4.42 speed and catlike quickness as Cohen, with equivalent receiving chops. Even the daft Matt Nagy knew how to get elite production from his lightning bug weapon, moving him in motion and lining up all over the field to get him in space. I envision James Cook in a similar role in the NFL, with nearly half of the teams as fitting suitors. Hopefully, Cook can avoid the catastrophic fate that doomed Cohen.

Landing Spot and Dynasty Outlook

James Cook landing in the second round of the NFL Draft wasn’t something I had on my bingo card. Cook has been one of the biggest risers in my post-draft rankings as a result. He’s been described by the front office as a “sub back” who will be a pass game weapon. This is fantastic when you look at the fact that the Bills were second in neutral script passing rate last season, throwing on 64% of their plays in close games. Cook should soak up these valuable snaps with the opportunity to also contribute on early downs. With Devin Singletary due to hit the free-agent market in 2023 and Zack Moss already buried, Cook could claim most of the backfield work as early as this season.

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