Trade rumors have surrounded Dalvin Cook for several years now. Should the Minnesota Vikings move on from the four-time Pro Bowl running back, it will be during the draft.

The main reason for this is due to the Vikings’ small amount of draft capital, for which they only hold five selections during the three-day event. It makes zero sense for the Vikings to try and trade Cook later this offseason, where they’d be receiving value that does not help them compete in 2023.

For a team that isn’t in a position to land one of the top running backs or either would prefer to add a proven talent, trading for Cook could be the best alternative.

In Minnesota’s case, they’d be able to save $7.9 million on their 2023 salary cap by trading Cook before June 1. This would come with a dead cap charge of $6.2 million, barring a contract adjustment.

Should teams continue to balk at the acquisition cost of the 27-year-old, releasing Cook would leave behind an $8.2 million dead cap charge, offering a savings of $5.9 million. But teams trying to compete for the playoffs typically don’t release a high-caliber starter this late into the offseason.

No matter what, the Vikings likely already feel they’re in decent hands with Alexander Mattison, Kene Nwangwu, and Ty Chandler on the RB depth chart, but none of these players have proven to be as consistent as Cook.

Teams looking for a boost to their backfield know what Cook offers. He’s equally as good rushing the ball as he is as a receiver and can still make defenders miss with the best of them. Add in his great vision to see the field and make proper cuts, and it’s not hard to suggest Cook is still among the best at his position today.

Now finally healthy after dealing with shoulder issues in recent years, there’s a belief that Cook could be in for a bounce-back season. Not like he didn’t have over 1,300 yards from scrimmage in each of the past four years, but perhaps the Florida native can do more.

Surely teams are interested in adding Cook to their roster. But at what cost? They know Cook has a $14 million cap number in 2023, and younger, more inexpensive running backs can be had in the draft. Still, that doesn’t mean front offices aren’t trying to call about the 5-foot-10, 210-pound weapon.

But which teams are the best fits for Dalvin Cook? We examine that and more in our Cook draft trade scenarios below.