Don’t Look Now, but James Cook will be a Top 10 RB in 2022

There were no running backs taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In the second round, the Buffalo Bills made James Cook the third running back off the board at pick No. 63.

In four seasons at Georgia, Cook shared work and totaled just 230 carries (113 in 2021). His overall workload was of course also limited, but he was a weapon in the passing game. Over his last two collegiate seasons, he had six receiving touchdowns as he averaged 11.8 yards per catch.

At 5-foot-11 and 199 pounds, Cook does not have workhorse build of his brother, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. But he’s joining a very good offense in Buffalo, as the Bills try to find a suitable answer at running back.

Devin Singletary set career highs across the board in 2021 (188 carries for 870 yards and seven touchdowns, 40 receptions). But he also had third-worst Pro Football Focus receiving grade among running backs with at least 30 targets, and Zack Moss has simply never stepped up.

Cook should not be dismissed as a scoring threat, with seven rushing scores on his 113 carries last year. The issue for him, and for any Bills’ back, is quarterback Josh Allen vulturing rushing production.

The Bills just don’t throw to their running backs much. In the last two seasons, they were 29th (2021) and 28th (2020) in percentage of passes thrown to backs. But their free agent pursuit of J.D. McKissic suggests a plan to change that, and general manager Brandon Beane cited Cook filling that kind of passing game role.

My own lack of faith in Singletary pushed me into thinking Moss would be an immediate factor in the Bills’ backfield in 2020. With that swing to replace Singletary now in the books as a miss, Buffalo was lined up to get a back in this draft and Cook was they guy they chose.

Last year, while still in the top half of the league (15th), Buffalo’s raw passing rate (59.2 percent) dropped from 2020 (61.7 percent, 11th). Allen had the fourth-most pass attempts in the league last year (646) though, and their offensive balance is sure to keep tilting pass.

Singletary’s presence should be noted, if only in that he’s the favorite for the majority of the carries on clear rushing downs. But the way the Bills are in line to deploy Cook, he may be lined up in the slot on the field with Singletary at times.

On NFL Network’s draft recap show Sunday night, analyst James Jones boldly predicted Cook would get 1,300 yards from scrimmage as a rookie. Eight running backs in the league reached that mark in 2021, and two others were within 40 yards of it. So it’s pretty rare air.

Let’s go all the way. It’s within range for Cook to post 1,200-1,300 total yards with 50-60 catches and double-digit total touchdowns as a rookie. With that comes a bold prediction, and certainly a scorching hot take, that he’ll finish as a top-10 fantasy running back in 2022.

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