Bills RB James Cook scored all three of the team's offensive TDs in Thursday night's win over the Dolphins. The first came in the first quarter on a well-designed misdirection that left Cook wide open in the left flat. He caught a short pass and burst to the pylon for a 17-yard score. Cook hit paydirt on a one-yard plunge in the second quarter and then scored from 49 yards out later in the second to give the Bills a 24-7 lead. He found a nice hole off the right guard and then out-ran former teammate Jordan Poyer's angle to the end zone.
Bills RB James Cook saw the team add Round 4 RB Ray Davis over the spring. By all accounts, the rookie enjoyed a strong summer. But as expected, the third-year RB remained the backfield leader against Arizona. Cook handled 19 of 24 team RB attempts. He also caught all 3 of his targets for 32 yards -- enough for a decent 13% target share.
The Bills selected Kentucky RB Ray Davis in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. A three-star recruit out of San Francisco, Davis opted to play at Temple over Navy and Kent State. He made a true-freshman impact for the Owls with 193-936-8. Then, after a pandemic-shortened 2020, Davis transferred to Vanderbilt. A toe injury that required surgery sapped nine games in 2021, but we’d finally see that freshman-year form come 2022. Davis delivered 1,042 yards on a carry share of nearly 68%. Instead of declaring for the draft last winter, Davis transferred once more to Kentucky. His decision clearly paid off. The 5’8, 208-pounder ran for 1,129 yards and 14 TDs on 5.7 yards per carry. He added 33 catches, 323 yards, and seven more scores. Among 33 RBs with 190+ carries, Davis ranked sixth in yards after contact per attempt and tied for seventh in PFF rushing grade. A bowling ball of a back, Davis’ power and contact balance should translate to the pro game. He also brings a notable pass-catching resume with 94 career catches. The drawback here is Davis’ age; he’ll turn 25 in November. His size should play well in Buffalo, which leaned on James Cook as its 2023 lead back. Bet on Cook maintaining the clear receiving lead while ceding some rushing work to the rookie. QB Josh Allen, of course, cuts into the available short-yardage TDs. This is ultimately a solid landing for Davis vs. pre-draft expectations. He was the eighth RB off the board and finds opportunity with an offense that ran more after switching OCs in 2023. See where Davis settles in our dynasty rookie rankings.
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