Advanced stats suggest one Vikings skill player is ready to break out in 2020

Dalvin Cook has gotten all the attention, but another Minnesota running back can’t be ignored.

On the precipice of his 22nd birthday and with just one NFL season under his belt, Alexander Mattison is far from a household name. Such is life in the ruthless NFC North playing behind a franchise running back like Dalvin Cook. But a closer look at just what Mattison did in his rookie campaign with the Vikings suggests that big things could be in store in short order.

When it comes to breaking off big plays, this young Viking is already among the NFL’s upper crust.

Vikings running back Alexander Mattison gained over 42 percent of his rushing yards in 2019 on plays of 15 yards or more, per PFF, the highest rate in the NFL

Sure, even the basic counting stats were kind to Mattison in 2019; 100 carries for 462 yards is a fine start for a third-round pick out of Boise State who clocked a mere 4.67-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, but we lean on Pro Football Focus to read between the lines. In the case of the sturdy Southern California native, that awry gaze suggests that he has every chance to form the NFL’s most dangerous running back tandem alongside Cook.

In fact, if Cook can’t get the gigantic, possibly outlandish contract extension he wants, you might not be crazy to suggest that Mattison could be the next James Conner and make a proud fan base forget about a departed franchise back in record time.

We ought to be careful not to get ahead of ourselves, but having a big-play running back can be the perfect equalizer — just ask the Patriots and Ravens, who had big dreams derailed last season in the playoffs courtesy of Derrick Henry. And while Mattison may not have the same trophy case as the bruising Titan, he still stands to be a big, big problem for Minnesota’s rivals sooner rather than later.