NFL insider predicts if Dalvin Cook or DeAndre Hopkins will be more impactful in 2023

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is staking his claim to which free agent playmaker will have the better 2023 season between Dalvin Cook and DeAndre Hopkins.

Cook was cut by the Minnesota Vikings, the only NFL franchise he’s ever known since entering the league out of Florida State. The shifty running back has a bevy of teams jockeying for his services, and he seemingly could fit in anywhere he would like.

As for Hopkins, he made his name in Houston with the Texans after coming into the NFL out of Clemson, but was shockingly traded to the Arizona Cardinals, where he’s seen mixed results since. Last season was a disaster for Hopkins, as he dealt with a suspension and injuries, along with subpar quarterback play throughout the year.

All things considered, Pelissero believes Cook is the safer bet for a team to take a chance on improving their offense through free agency.

“It’s Dalvin Cook, just based upon the fact that he’s coming off of four consecutive 1,000 yard seasons,” theorized Pelissero, via The Rich Eisen Show. “He’s 27-years-old. He finally got his shoulder fixed. Hop can still play, but he’s missed a lot of time. Between the suspension, the injuries. He’s not been that guy. D-Hop would be the first one to say it. So again, if we’re juts playing the percentages here, give me the guy who’s been productive nonstop for the last really, I mean throughout his entire career. Cook tore his ACL in 2017, but ever since then he’s been one of the game’s best and most dynamic backs.

“With Hopkins, at age 31 I believe, going on 32. Is he still going to be able to do it? Is he going to integrate? I mean, there’s not a lot of guys who do the things that he does. Fit is going to be important there, whether it’s Tennessee, New England or maybe somebody else comes into the mix. I think that’s what is going to dictate a lot of this.”

Alas, Cook is being courted by a number of squads, from the Miami Dolphins to the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, while Hopkins’ two most likely destinations are the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots. The fit will certainly go a long way to determining which player has the better 2023.

Nevertheless, it’ll be fascinating to keep an eye on wherever Dalvin Cook and DeAndre Hopkins end up, as they could be huge impact players next season.