James Cook Might Be the Exact Piece the Buffalo Bills Needed
Not every team has the luxury to draft a part-time player, and that's definitely not all that Georgia Bulldogs running back James Cook can be, but even in that role, he's a great pick for the Buffalo Bills.
Cook's main knocks entering the draft are workload related while playing at Georgia. That and his weight (199 pounds). Cook did break the 1,000-yard barrier in 2021 (1,012 yards) after posting totals of 373, 320, and 528 yards in his first three seasons.
What's the breakdown of Cook with the Bills in 2022?
Player Comparisons
numberFire's Brandon Gdula breaks down Hall's profile and gives a top comparison.
"Cook has a pretty close profile to Kenyan Drake."@gdula13 believes James Cook can be a dynamic RB for the Bills, but is worried about his smaller size.#BillsMafia | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/T4rNH8u0Fg
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) April 30, 2022
Gdula's draft database has found these 10 prior prospects to have the most similar statistical profiles to Cook's. Keep in mind that these are based not on play style or traits but age, athleticism, draft equity, experience, efficiency, and production.
| Rank | James Cook Profile Comparisons | Similarity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenyan Drake | 86.5% |
| 2 | Miles Sanders | 86.1% |
| 3 | Damien Harris | 85.2% |
| 4 | Darrynton Evans | 83.9% |
| 5 | Anthony McFarland Jr. | 83.1% |
| 6 | Alvin Kamara | 83.0% |
| 7 | CJ Prosise | 82.3% |
| 8 | Mike Goodson | 82.2% |
| 9 | Felix Jones | 82.1% |
| 10 | Nyheim Hines | 82.1% |
Gdula's Take: Cook is a bit of a projection simply due to the workload he had in college. His rushing workload is in the 4th percentile, but he was used heavily as a receiver even in a committee role, and the speed is there for him to make plays in the NFL. In the right spot (which Buffalo is), Cook should be a fantasy-friendly back.
James Cook's 2022 Fantasy Football Projection
Gdula’s initial projections for Cook include 112 carries for 479 yards and 4.3 touchdowns with 66 targets for 43 catches, 348 yards, and 2.0 touchdowns, making him the RB34 for the season.
Cook will very likely split rushes with Devin Singletary but should see a heavy workload out of the backfield, giving him immediate PPR appeal with a ceiling that could be the primary back in one of the NFL's best offenses.
On FanDuel Sportsbook, the Bills are listed at +650 to win the Super Bowl, making them the favorites, and -180 to win the AFC East, and they have a win total projection of 11.5.
