Minnesota Vikings: 5 burning questions for 2018

2. How will Dalvin Cook bounce back?

Dalvin Cook’s NFL career got off to a quick start. In his first four games, he rushed for 354 yards and two touchdowns. He was averaging nearly five yards per carry and his elusiveness was on display.

Unfortunately, Cook’s rookie campaign ended after only four games. During the Vikings’ week four match-up against the Detroit Lions, Cook exploded down the middle and attempted to evade a defender, but immediately went down and fumbled.

It was later confirmed that Cook tore his ACL in his left knee and missed the remainder of the season. He underwent surgery about a week later and anticipates being ready for week one.

Cook participated in team drills during the Vikings’ third week of organized team activities, which is a good sign as the season quickly approaches.

With Cook absent, Latavius Murray and Jerry McKinnon split the rushing duties. Even though Murray found the end zone eight times, neither back was as effective as Cook. They both averaged less than four yards a carry and didn’t come close to Cook’s 88.5 yards per game.

Yes, Cook provided a small sample size but he looked the part and proved in those four games that he could be extremely effective at the next level.

There are plenty of athletes that recover from ACL injuries with no problem, but not everybody is like former running back Adrian Peterson. Time will tell with Cook, but he is a difference maker in the Vikings’ offense.