One area of need in the Buffalo Bills' prolific offense was at running back.
The two-time reigning AFC East champions checked that box in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday in Las Vegas.
Buffalo selected Georgia running back James Cook with the 63rd overall pick in the second round.
The Bills later took Baylor linebacker Terrel Bernard with the No. 89 selection in the third round.
Cook is the younger brother of Minnesota Vikings standout running back Dalvin Cook and was a guiding force in the Bulldogs winning the national title. Dalvin was also a second-round pick, going at No. 41 to the Vikings in 2017.
It's the third draft out of the last four in which Buffalo has picked a running back (Devin Singletary, 2019; Zack Moss, 2020).
With James, the Bills get an explosive, big-play back with underrated pass-catching skills who should be a sensational fit for Buffalo's offense. Cook might find himself in a perfect place for his talents -- the wintry wonderland of Buffalo, sharing a backfield with Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen.
The Bills' high-octane offense is as well-rounded as it's ever been on paper now with Cook on the way. Coming off a season in which the Bills ranked third in points scored and fifth in yards, Buffalo adds Cook to an Allen-led offense that also features wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis and Jamison Crowder, along with tight ends Dawson Knox and O.J. Howard.
At 5-foot-10, 210 pounds with 4.49 40 speed, Cook is the model of a versatile back who's available for hard yards, game-breaking runs and catches out of the backfield. He had 1,012 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns in eight games during the Bulldogs' 2021 campaign. Evidence of his ability catching the ball game in the College Football Playoff semifinals when he had four catches for 112 yards and a receiving touchdowns versus Michigan.
Buffalo's inexhaustible offense just added a missing piece and became a lot more frightening a proposition for opposing defenses to contain.
