What if Dalvin Cook is available when Saints pick in 1st round? (1 Viewer)

[AshleyShaffer]

I know he's not a "need" pick, but he's a rare talent at RB and has been compared to Marshall Faulk in his skill set. There are some who believe that he's an even better prospect than LF7.

He didn't do much (if any) returning on STs at FSU but that was mostly because they relied on him too much for their offense to work. I'm positive he has the ability to be a dynamic return man.

He could easily be the Best Player Available if he's on the board when the saints pick in the 1st round.

He would give the offense an explosive and extremely versatile weapon to pair with Mark Ingram and create mismatches against a defense.
Have him return kickoffs and our return game gets an instant jolt.

What do you guys think?

 

[Whodatcolston]

This board would probably shut down if the Saints draft a RB in the first and it's not LF7

 

[ozwego15]

we need a playmaker on defense

 

[SweetT]

If a player like Cook falls in our lap, you take him if he is BPA. Regardless of need

 

[honeybadger]

Defense.

 

[Eman5805]

It's the same story every single year. We should draft defense. We need defense....

And every year, our staff goes out and drafts who they feel is best able to help our team win. Well, most years.

As for Cook. Assuming we stay somewhere 12th overall or so. I think it's highly likely Cook is there. But I think there's several players who will be rated higher than him on the board at the same time, so I don't think he'd be our pick.

Fournette would though. And so might Mitch Trubisky.

 

[DoMePaTrolleR]

Donnel Pumphrey from San Diego St. is a player I like a lot. IMO he would be a perfect fit in our offense in the satellite back role. Kid just broke the all time college rushing record and is a dangerous threat out of the backfield. Payton has ties to San Diego St. so I'm sure this kid is on his radar. He isn't a big guy but wouldn't be taking the beating of an everydown back and is obviously someone who has shown he can carry the load and teams will not just be able to ignore him in the run game.

I like Cook a lot and I'm not against taking him or Fournette in the 1st. Cook is an absolute stud and would be a game changer for our offense. It would really depend on what defensive players were on the board and if Cook was the obvious superior talent. One move I would love to make is to trade back in the late 1st round like we did with Ingram to grab McCaffrey. Isn't something that would be a big impact to us adding talent on the defensive side of the ball. McCaffrey is another player I think who would bring the missing element to our offense making us downright dangerous. A satellite back is something we need to address in this draft and if we decide to do this in the mid rounds I want Pumphrey.

With this same we need defense thinking would have us hurting a WR and missing out on a stud like Thomas. Yes we absolutely need defense but we also need a satellite back and if the right guy is there you take him. We have plenty of other picks along with a ton of cap room to fill the holes on defense which really isn't many. I think we are in a position right now to address whatever position we want in the 1st round.

 

[sammymvpknight]

Cook is a much better fit than LF...and he may be the better runner. Cook is highly underrated. I always thought that he was better than Elliott last year. But there better not be a good defensive player on the board of you take him.

 

[TruSaint]

BPA

 

[StudioSaint]

Donnel Pumphrey from San Diego St. is a player I like a lot. IMO he would be a perfect fit in our offense in the satellite back role. Kid just broke the all time college rushing record and is a dangerous threat out of the backfield. Payton has ties to San Diego St. so I'm sure this kid is on his radar. He isn't a big guy but wouldn't be taking the beating of an everydown back and is obviously someone who has shown he can carry the load and teams will not just be able to ignore him in the run game.

I like Cook a lot and I'm not against taking him or Fournette in the 1st. Cook is an absolute stud and would be a game changer for our offense. It would really depend on what defensive players were on the board and if Cook was the obvious superior talent. One move I would love to make is to trade back in the late 1st round like we did with Ingram to grab McCaffrey. Isn't something that would be a big impact to us adding talent on the defensive side of the ball. McCaffrey is another player I think who would bring the missing element to our offense making us downright dangerous. A satellite back is something we need to address in this draft and if we decide to do this in the mid rounds I want Pumphrey.

With this same we need defense thinking would have us hurting a WR and missing out on a stud like Thomas. Yes we absolutely need defense but we also need a satellite back and if the right guy is there you take him. We have plenty of other picks along with a ton of cap room to fill the holes on defense which really isn't many. I think we are in a position right now to address whatever position we want in the 1st round.

BPA

I think the Saints will be in a great position to go BPA in the draft, especially if they get the guys they target in free agency. This draft could turn out to be the most surprising and successful draft the Saints have had under Payton. The less pressure a team feels to draft specific positions, the more likely they are to pick players that have the highest probability of success in their system, regardless of position.

I don't think you can have too many good players at any position, other than QB. If you draft a good player that has to sit behind other good players, then you're better prepared to keep guys fresh by rotation, handle injuries and not over pay to keep your own free agents.

The most important thing to successful drafting is to pick players who are good enough to make the roster. Everything else will sort itself out as injuries, age, suspensions, free agency and human frailty can turn a position of strength one year into a weakness the next.

If only real life in the NFL was as predictable and easy as Madden, unfortunately it is not.

 

[blackjack]

Cook is going to be special, LF and him will continue the resurgence of RBs just like Elliot.

That said, I'm not sure what scenario I could envision where we get him.

 

[Lafsaintsfan]

Then all we would need to complete the set is a player named cooking and another named cooked. Cook cooks cooking cooked. Championship!

Edit: forgot about cookers and cookies. So looks like we are still a couple of drafts away from this ever happening!


Side note: I'm currently driving straight through to Phoenix Az from Lafayette La and I'm 12 hours in so forgive my delirium.

 

[JPPT1974]

Yeah as like the Broncos did in SB L defense does win you the game. As it is time to bulk up the defense!

 

[Uptking]

Despite the defensive play this year, we were very competitive. An offensive play here or there and we could have 10 plus wins. We need one more explosive offensive player just to keep us going or get us going. We should draft Fournette or Cooks if they're valuable. We're not one impactful defensive player away from a title. But our offense is with a bend but don't break D. Get more explosive on offensive. It's easier to play D when you're ahead

 

[Joodas Avila]

Honestly, I think there's a legit chance that Cook will be there in the early-mid teens. I think he's def the next RB after Fournette, but I'm not sure he'd be the BPA when we're on the clock. With guys like Reuben Foster, Tim Williams, Zach Cunningham, Tak Mckinley, Tabor, Humphrey, etc. potentially on the board, I'd have to pass on Cook and go with one of them, or trade down at that point.