How Many Rushing Yards Will Dalvin Cook Have in 2020?
Is Dalvin Cook poised for a career year in 2020? The Vikings star running back is coming off of a breakout season in which he finished 10th in the NFL with 1,135 yards, despite only playing in 14 games and being banged up in several of those.
Entering the 2020 season, Cook's over/under rushing yards prop bet has been set at 1,160.5. Vegas oddsmakers are essentially expecting a similar year from Cook, but should you take the over or the under on that total?
It all comes down to your faith in Cook's ability to stay healthy. The 2017 second-round pick missed the final 12 games of his rookie season with an ACL tear, missed five games in 2018 with a hamstring injury, and dealt with some upper-body injuries down the stretch of last season. Through three years, Cook has played in just 29 of a possible 48 regular-season games.
When he's healthy and on the field, there's no disputing Cook's talent and production. He ran for 127 yards in his first career game and was averaging 4.8 yards per carry as a rookie until his ACL injury. Through the first ten games of last season, Cook was averaging 99.1 rushing yards per game, putting him on pace for roughly 1,600. He has the complete package of vision, speed, agility, and power that makes him one of the five best running backs in the NFL.
I'm taking the over on 1,160.5 rushing yards for Cook this year. There's no reason to be concerned about his durability or question his toughness; his injuries have just been a result of bad luck so far in his career. I'm optimistic that this will be the season he remains healthy and is able to produce for the Vikings all year long. Even if he does miss a few games, Cook still has the talent and workload to exceed that total.
With Gary Kubiak being hired as offensive coordinator, the Vikings will continue to be a run-heavy offense in 2020. Even with Alexander Mattison entering his second season, Cook will continue to receive the bulk of the carries. He could potentially become an even greater part of the offense with wide receiver Stefon Diggs now in Buffalo.
Cook is also an excellent receiver out of the backfield, with 53 catches for 519 yards last year, but that doesn't take away from his production in the ground game.
The main storyline to watch with Cook this offseason is whether or not he receives a contract extension before playing the final year of his rookie deal. It's looking more and more likely that he will.
Related reading:
- Vikings Have Had 'Productive Talks' About New Contract For Dalvin Cook
- What Does the Christian McCaffrey Extension Mean For Dalvin Cook and the Vikings?
- Vikings Running Backs Preview: Will Dalvin Cook Get Paid?
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