FSU Alums: NFL Hall of Famer predicts big 2018 for Dalvin Cook

Former FSU star Dalvin Cook is ready for a bounce back season with the Minnesota Vikings – and one of the best NFL backs ever thinks it’s going to be huge.

Three games into the 2017 NFL season, it looked like thing were going to go well for former FSU football running back Dalvin Cook during his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings – as the Miami native and all-time rushing leader for the Seminoles was on pace to be in the conversation for the league’s rookie of the year award have a 1,400 rushing yard season.

All of that changed in game four against the Detroit Lions, when Cook tore his ACL and was done for the season. After months or rehab, the former FSU star is back on the practice field and looking to some like he didn’t miss a beat during his time away – setting himself up to possibly be back in the starting lineup when Minnesota opens the 2018 season on September 9th.

When Cook takes the field, there are some who think he might not be up to the level of expectations he was on before the injury. Well, you can count NFL Hall of Fame running back LaDanian Tomlinson among those who think Cook WILL be back to his form of early last season.

Tomlinson, now a commentator for the NFL Network, published last week his list of young running backs set to break out – and predicted that Cook will finish the season with at least 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Vikings this season.

"He’s already shown he can be a three-down back, so this pick was a no-brainer for me. He should continue to evolve within the Vikings’ offense as a dynamic threat in both the run and pass games. Plus, having Kirk Cousins under center should only boost Cook’s production. Defenses will be forced to pick their poison, making this offense hard to stop."

For someone who fell to the second round after a star studded, record breaking career for FSU for some insane reason (depending on who you talk to, everything from past issues being brought up to a former rep sabotaging him), Cook is finally getting all the love and respect he deserves heading into his sophomore campaign.

Next: NFL Hall of Famer gets candid about Jameis Winston

For Cook to reach Tomlinson’s prediction, that would be mean he would need to average 75 yards a game and have basically three touchdowns every four games. Last season, the former FSU star averaged over 88 yards a game and had two touchdowns in the first four games – so it can be done easily.