The Jets have made a lot of veteran additions to their roster during the 2023 NFL offseason, and they made another one on Monday.
New York has reportedly agreed to terms with former Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. The six-year veteran visited the Jets in the early stages of training camp and he was hopeful that the Jets would sign him.
It took a while, but it appears that the Jets did, indeed, do that; and the acquisition of Cook will have a major impact on their running back depth chart.
Cook didn't just sign with the Jets to play second fiddle to Breece Hall. Sure, New York wants the second-year Iowa State product to be their long-term running back, but the presence of Cook will allow them to ease the dynamo back into action as he continues to recover from a torn ACL.
Meanwhile, Cook and Aaron Rodgers — two long-time divisional rivals — will team up in a pairing that could help to make the Jets' offense even more dynamic than it was expected to be.
MORE: Why Aaron Rodgers is taking a $35 million pay cut after joining the Jets
But exactly how does the acquisition of Cook change the Jets' depth chart and their plans on offense? Here's what to know about Cook and how he fits into New York's plans for the 2023 NFL season.
Jets RB depth chart
1A. Breece Hall
Even with the addition of Cook, the Jets' plans are still to make Hall their workhorse back. The timetable for doing so will just be adjusted with the second-year player coming off a torn ACL that limited him to seven games as a rookie.
Hall was dynamic when on the field for the Jets in 2022. He racked up 463 yards and four touchdowns on 80 carries, good for a team-high 5.8 yards per carry. His receiving ability (19 catches, 218 yards, one touchdown) also established that he has what it takes to be a three-down threat in the NFL.
At 6-1, 220 pounds, Hall is built to carry a full NFL workload. Still, the Jets will want to be cautious with the 22-year-old as he returns from injury; so, while he will get carries out of the chute, he figures to split them with the Jets' newest signing at least in the early stages of the season. That will make him more of a solid RB2 in fantasy as opposed to a true RB1.
1B. Dalvin Cook
Signing Cook was a shrewd move by the Jets. As good as Hall looked as a rookie, there are questions about just how healthy he will be in the first half of the 2023 NFL season. Having Cook around will ease the pressure on Hall and offer him the time needed to ease his way back into the lineup.
Cook has run for at least 1,135 yards in each of the last four seasons and has been a Pro Bowl nod each year because of that. He averaged a career-low 4.4 yards per carry last season, but that is still plenty good enough to serve as a lead back if needed.
Cook is also a solid receiver and has averaged 51 catches for 418 yards and one touchdown per 17 games played during his career. Rodgers is familiar with him, having faced him twice a year in their NFC North battles, so it stands to reason that he will be willing to trust his dynamic weapon in short order.
Like Hall, Cook figures to be a co-RB2 for fantasy purposes to start the season. That said, it may be smart to buy on Cook early and try to sell high on him, as he should lose touches the healthier that Hall gets.
MORE: Why did Dalvin Cook leave the Vikings?
3. Michael Carter
Carter actually opened the 2022 season as the Jets' starting running back. It looked like that would be a short-lived arrangement after Hall's breakout, but his injury thrust Carter back into the starting role for 10 of the 16 games he played in his second season.
The results weren't great. Carter was a good receiver, catching 41 passes and generating 288 yards through the air, but he totaled just 402 yards and three touchdowns on 114 carries. His 3.5 yards per carry average ranked dead last in the NFL among 49 qualified runners.
Carter may still have a role to play as a pass-catcher and he certainly isn't a bad backup option. Still, it's clear that he is behind Hall — and now Cook — in the positional pecking order even after a solid preseason debut.
4. Zonovan Knight
Knight emerged late as the season as an alternative to Carter and made four starts. However, the NC State product also averaged just 3.5 yards per carry (80 carries, 300 yards) and totaled just one touchdown. He isn't the same type of receiving threat as Carter either, generating 13 catches for 100 yards in seven games of action.
The good news for Knight is that he returned a kick last season, so he does have some special teams versatility. That's important for running backs in the modern NFL. Still, he seems like he's battling for a roster spot with Abanikanda and could end up landing on the practice squad after the team's signing of Cook.
5. Israel Abanikanda
Abanikanda is an intriguing prospect who might emerge as a potential long-term complement for Hall. The 2023 fifth-round pick is coming off a monster junior year at Pitt, having generated 1,431 rushing yards and a whopping 20 touchdowns for the Panthers.
At 5-10, 216 pounds, Abanikanda has the size needed to handle a full workload. He is also explosive and is only 20 years old, giving him plenty of time to adjust to the NFL game. He may be No. 5 on the depth chart to start the preseason but don't be surprised if he is able to leapfrog Knight soon. And perhaps by season's end, he will be able to work his way into the team's running back rotation.
MORE: Breaking down the winners and losers of the Aaron Rodgers trade
6. Travis Dye
Dye was a productive running back across five college seasons with Oregon (four) and USC (one). In his final two seasons, Dye combined to post 2,155 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on 356 carries. He also caught 67 passes for 604 yards and two touchdowns, so he clearly has the skills needed to develop into an undrafted gem.
The best-case scenario for Dye would be to somehow beat Knight and Abanikanda for a final spot on the 53-man roster. That said, he is most likely to be a practice squad candidate who can make his case to stick in the NFL as an injury fill-in later in the year.
7. Damarea Crockett
The Jets are Crockett's fifth NFL team since he went undrafted in 2019. He hung around for a few years with the Broncos but he has just three carries and seven yards to his name. At best, the 25-year-old is a practice squad candidate for the Jets, but it's more likely that he is just around to soak up some preseason touches.
