6 Projections to believe and 6 projections to ignore from week 1 of NFL action

#4 Believe: Dalvin Cook is the real deal

Ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft, I had this young man as a top ten prospect coming out of Florida State. Cook eventually ended up falling to the second round because of some concerns about the people he was spending his time with away from football and some concerns about his knee, but I never doubted that he could be an amazing weapon. He only gave me more optimism when he racked up 137 yards from scrimmage in his regular season debut and went for about 450 through four games before being lost for the season with a torn ACL.

I had Cook as my biggest breakout candidate ahead of last year, but a hamstring problem kept him sidelined for five games and held him back when he did get to play, plus the offensive play-calling didn’t give him the opportunities he should have received when he was healthy, carrying the ball an average of just 12 times per game.

Now coming into year three, Dalvin quickly reminded of us his talent on just two preseason carries, as one of them went 85 yards for a touchdown. He is as explosive a back as we have in the game and a perfect fit for that Gary Kubiak rushing attack. Cook can make things happen with the ball in space as well as run downfield routes out of the backfield. With Kirk Cousins attempting just ten passes in week one while Cook went for 120 yards and two scores, the Minnesota offense should run through their star back.

#4 Ignore: Dak Prescott is a $40 million quarterback

Well, the number is ridiculous already, because it would be five million more than any other player in the league and about seven million more than either of his fellow draftees from 2016 in Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, but I don’t think he is even at their level. I have heard all the “that is what the market dictates” talk and I’m all for a player getting paid, who earns the least amount of money among all week one starting QBs, but comparing him to the other top-paid passers, he is not in their class.

Prescott had one of the greatest rookie seasons we have ever seen, but the turnovers have gone up and the offense has been much more stagnant at times since then. Dak has had the luxury of playing behind one of the premier offensive lines in football for pretty much all of his career, Ezekiel Elliott is the biggest workhorse back in the league and last year the defense emerged as one of the top units out there as well.

Moreover, with Amari Cooper, Randall Cobb and Michael Gallup, he now has some serious weapons around him. If Prescott continues to ball out under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who actually was the star of the show for me, I will reexamine this point, but a blowout win over one of the worst teams in the league doesn't make me buy his case completely