During the pre-draft circuit of all-star games, combine drills and prospect interviews in 2017, Dalvin Cook built a connection with a cohort of running backs who have come to command the position in the NFL.
He was the third back drafted in the class, going to the Vikings 41st overall after the Jaguars took LSU's Leonard Fournette with the fourth pick and the Panthers selected Stanford's Christian McCaffrey eighth overall. Oklahoma's Joe Mixon went to the Bengals seven picks after Cook, Tennessee's Alvin Kamara went to the Saints at No. 67, the Chiefs took UTEP's Kareem Hunt 86th overall.