NFL Mock Draft 2017: Another mock has the Colts selecting Dalvin Cook in the first round

Last week, we highlighted the fact that the most common pick for the Colts so far in mock drafts seems to have been Dalvin Cook, and there’s another mock draft today that follows that pattern.

SB Nation’s Dan Kadar released his latest mock draft this morning, and he has the Colts taking the Florida State running back. The emphasis on this week’s mock was about the potential negatives for each pick, however, so here are the cautions Kadar mentions with Cook:

Teams will want to get to know Cook on a personal level more than most prospects because of his past. Cook was found not guilty of misdemeanor battery in 2015.

In that regard, the NFL Combine could be a huge week for Dalvin Cook. There are going to be a lot of teams that want to talk with Cook, and I’d imagine all of those teams will be asking him about some of the off-the-field concerns and questions that exist. If those interviews go well, however, it could really help him to solidify a spot pretty high on a lot of teams’ boards.

For the Colts, that will be an important aspect of it, and I’d expect them to talk with Cook this week. But there are more questions for them than just the off-field stuff, as they’ll need to assess whether Cook is truly the best option on-the-field as well with the 14th/15th pick. The Colts really need to find their long-term running back to eventually replace Frank Gore, but this is a deep running back class and there will likely be some very good defenders still available in the first round. Is Cook worth the team’s first round pick over the other talent that might be available? That’s just as big of a question for the Colts to address, and maybe even bigger.

What’s clear, though, is that Dalvin Cook is a good player. He rushed for 4,464 yards and 46 touchdowns during his collegiate career at Florida State, averaging 6.5 yards per carry (he also caught 79 passes for 935 yards and two touchdowns). He was a unanimous All-American selection in 2016, rushing for 1,765 yards and 19 touchdowns.

He had a very productive collegiate career and is a good player, but is he the best fit for the colts in the first round? Those questions will likely linger until the draft - and perhaps even after, too.