Is Cook an elite RB?
By: Jake Rajala
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook officially signed a 4-year $48 million dollar extension today. The younger brother of Dalvin Cook is quite rich. With that said, a fair question ponders over him: Is he an elite RB?
Cook was a powerhouse last season. He had 16 rushing touchdowns, which led the league. He also had over 1k yards rushing in 2023 and 2024. He is also a quality pass catcher, as well. He recorded 445 receiving yards in 2023. I expect him to get more receiving yards in 2025, given the lack of quality WRs on the roster.
Here is a closer look at how Cook stacks up against other top-end RBs.
- 16th in rushing yards last season.
- first in rushing touchdowns (as noted)
- fifth in rushing YPC among the Top-16 RBs in rushing yards
The key figure regarding Cook is that he is 25 years old. He is four years younger than Alvin Kamara.
I don’t believe that Cook is an elite back. I believe he is a Top-10 RB, but I don’t believe he’s a Top-5 half-back. There are some extremely talented RBs right now that have set the bar high. Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson round out the Top-5 RBs in my opinion.
I believe the Bills are somewhat overpaying him, but it’s not easy to find a top-notch RB in the market. It’s especially hard to find a RB that can pound it in the end-zone and catch several passes in the same game. There are more talented WRs in the free agency pool than gifted RBs available.
They also can’t afford to wait. Josh Allen is in his prime and coming off an MVP season. The Bills also need to keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs. Cook is a crucial piece of the puzzle.
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