INDIANAPOLIS – Georgia running back James Cook has heard the comparisons to his older brother, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, throughout his life.
They play the same position, attended the same high school in Miami and briefly took the same college path before James de-committed from Florida State to join the eventual national champion Bulldogs.
As similar as the brothers are, James Cook said his versatility is what can set him apart from Dalvin. When asked at the NFL scouting combine what he's better at, the younger Cook pointed to his hands — "a 10," he rated them. But he's also learned a lot from his older brother about the pre-draft process, life in the NFL and how to play the position.
"His awareness," James Cook said Thursday of Dalvin. "Just how he moves with the ball in his hands, and he can make guys miss and he can do various things, too. We kind of critique that game off each other and make each other better."
Cook was an all-around threat for Georgia, where he scored 20 touchdowns (14 rushing, six receiving) in four years, including 11 scores in last year's breakout campaign. He could be drafted as early as the third round, according to NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who called him the "ultimate toy" for an offense.
"Jet sweeps, screens, draws, split him out wide, let him run away from corners," Jeremiah said. "He's a fun weapon."
Cook said his older brother told him to smile and "enjoy the process" of NFL teams prying into his physical and mental ability. After withdrawing from the Senior Bowl because "I feel everybody has seen me play at the highest level," Cook said he'll participate in most on-field drills Friday except the bench press.
He's looking forward to one day playing against the Vikings.
"We going to get after it," Cook said. "If I'm on the other side, I know [Dalvin] is going to try to beat me, too, by running all over me. So I'm going to try to do the same."
What if the Vikings somehow land two Cooks?
"That's a plus," Cook said, "but they already got a guy, so I'm pretty sure they ain't."
Ex-Gopher Faalele aiming high
Former Gophers offensive tackle Daniel Faalele will only do the bench press Friday among on-field workouts. Faalele, who said he measured 6-8 and 385 pounds, was "banged up" during the Senior Bowl but expects to be healthy enough to participate in the Gophers pro day this month. The hulking Australian-born tackle wants to continue his ascension after only five years of playing football.
"I look at [the Chiefs'] Orlando Brown, and how we have similar size and how he uses his strength to his advantage," Faalele said. "[The 49ers'] Trent Williams, how he plays aggressive. I want to mirror that in my game. [The Cowboys'] Tyron Smith, how technical he is."
Faalele is joined at the combine by fellow Gopher offensive lineman Blaise Andries and North Dakota tackle Matt Waletzko, from Cold Spring, Minn. Andries said he'll fully participate in on-field work after he was limited during the East-West Shrine Game because of a hamstring injury.
"We've gotten a lot of compliments from a lot of [NFL] coaches about our O-line play," Andries said. "I would go back and tell coach [Brian] Callahan that what he's doing and what he's worked on is getting noticed. We're trying to change the narrative of the Minnesota offensive line."
A 'lifelong' bond
Former Iowa State running back Breece Hall has also received advice from a Vikings running back in former college teammate Kene Nwangwu. They shared the Cyclones backfield in 2019 and 2020 before Nwangwu was a 2021 fourth-round pick by Minnesota. Nwangwu told Hall to "stay grounded," just months after Nwangwu soared as a Vikings rookie with two kickoffs returned for touchdowns.
"It was really exciting just to see the journey he's been on," Hall said, "because Kene hasn't always been dealt the best cards, so I just feel like it's really been a blessing to see how he's progressed. He just had a kid, too, so I had to congratulate him on that. I have a real good relationship with Kene, it's going to be lifelong."
