2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: RB James Cook, Georgia

James Cook comes from the same family tree as the Vikings' Dalvin Cook. Does he offer any of the same skill set?

James Cook, RB

Height: 5’11
Weight: 190 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: Georgia

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A former four-star recruit out of Miami Central High School and Miami Northwestern in Miami, Florida, Cook is the younger brother of Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. 

James Cook was the eighth-ranked Floridian running back prospect in the 2018 recruiting cycle. Cook was initially going to follow in his brother’s footsteps and attend Florida State, but he de-committed during the summer before his senior year and pursued a career with Kirby Smart at Georgia.

Notables

Cook was a key member of a four-way running back room that helped the Georgia Bulldogs win the 2021 National Championship. Cook rushed for 738-yards on 113 attempts (6.4 YPC) along with seven touchdowns in his final season. That’s impressive, but he was also dangerous as a receiver; he caught 27 of 30 passes for 274-yards and four touchdowns.

Cook ended his four years at Georgia with 1,503 rushing yards on 230 carries (6.5 YPC) and 14 rushing touchdowns, with two fumbles. He caught 67 of 74 passes for 718-yards and six touchdowns. Cook accepted his invite to the Senior Bowl but then pulled out just before the event.

Injuries didn’t plague Cook as much as they did his fellow Bulldog running back, Zamir White. However, Cook did have off-season ankle surgery in 2019, and he missed time in 2020 with an issue with his hand.

Cook, who withdrew from the Senior Bowl earlier this year, was also arrested and charged with driving without a valid license and possessing an open alcoholic beverage container in December 2019.

Strengths

• Very good athlete with excellent speed and agility
• Slippery runner in space who is hard to corral - elusaive
• Lightning-quick feet assist his great change of direction
• Good footwork behind the LOS to set up runs
• Can stop and start - burst into acceleration
• Great runner in space
• Shows good patience and vision as a rusher
• Sees cutback lanes and explodes through them
• Sets linebackers up well and follows his blocks - or cuts back - to green grass
• Good overall discipline to maximize runs
• Solid contact balance
• Excellent receiver who can be a dangerous third-down back
• Catches the ball effortlessly and doesn’t lose steps
• Quickly accelerates off screens and finds space to run
• Crisp route runner who is deceptive with his movements
• Will be a mismatch for bigger linebackers in man coverage
• Can catch away from his frame - natural hands
• Has the potential to play in the slot and as a wide receiver in certain packages
• Willing pass protector

View all of Nick Falato's draft prospect profiles right here / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Can Improve

• Slight build, not very big or imposing
• Not the most physical running back
• Could be better as blocker, anchor isn’t there (would like a third-down back like Cook to be a bit stronger in pass protection)
• Only had one season of over 100-touches
• Never had more than 15-carries in a game during college
• He may not have the upside of being a bell-cow back like his brother

Summary

Overall, James Cook is a dangerous receiver out of the backfield in an NFL who is leveraging that skill-set well. He’s smooth in space, hard to track down, runs with good patience/vision, and can run precise routes out of the backfield. His play strength isn’t great -- he is slight for an NFL running back, but he doesn’t have to be a short-down back. 

He may not be a true three-down back right now, but he can develop into that role. He will step on the field and immediately impact passing downs if he can clean up his pass protection. He'll also have to satisfy questions about his arrest and why he  withdrew from the Senior Bowl.

GRADE: 6.34C (C for character questions)

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