Viktor
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
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Palazzolo wrote:
Last season, Dalvin Cook showed what he's capable of when healthy, generating an 83.5 rushing grade that ranked fourth in the league during the regular season. He has one of the league's best combinations of power and burst, evident in his 4.5 yards per carry average over three years in the league. Cook is effective in the pass game, too, ranking second among running backs in screen yards in 2019. However, his eight drops and two fumbles marred his receiving grade for the year.
When healthy, Cook is right there with the top runners in the league. Behind him, 2019 third-rounder Alexander Mattison posted a 69.2 rushing grade and 4.6 yards per carry, while preseason sensation Mike Boone got into the action with 5.6 yards per carry on 49 attempts. The trio returns to give the Vikings one of the NFL's better backfields in 2020, led by Cook's big-play potential.
Cook rushed for a career-best 1,135 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in 2019, adding 53 receptions and 519 yards in the passing game on the way to his first Pro Bowl. Cook also made his first appearance on NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2020 list and landed at No. 21 overall.
Mattison was a 2019 third-round pick out of Boise State who showed plenty of flashes in his rookie year. He rushed for 462 yards and a score, hurdling over multiple defenders along the way.
Boone ran for 273 yards in his second season, 148 of which came in the season finale against Chicago when Minnesota rested the majority of its starters. He also had a pair of rushing touchdowns in Week 15 against the Chargers when Cook and Mattison left the game with injuries.
And while he wasn't mentioned by Palazzolo, Vikings fullback C.J. Ham is also a key piece of the Vikings backfield. The Minnesota native cleared defenders out of the way on the way to his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2019.