Georgia football fans love to cheer on their former Bulldogs in the NFL. One of those players that UGA fans have been gravitating to the most in the past few years is running back James Cook.
Cook was one of the fan favorites during his career at Georgia, but his stardom has reached a new level during his time with the Buffalo Bills. He is now entering his fourth season in the NFL, and after polling 70 NFL executives Cook was named the No. 8 running back in the league entering the 2025 season.
James Cook named a top 10 running back in the NFL
One anonymous AFC executive even shared the below quote which speaks to how versatile and talented Cook has been during his time with the Bills.
"He's perfect for that offense, with a quarterback that spreads things out," an anonymous NFL executive shared via buffalowdown.com. "He's good in the passing game, catches the ball really well, good in open space. Not sure he's elite yet but he's really, really good."
Cook's NFL career got off to a slow start during his rookie season mainly because he didn't get too many touches. That however changed during the 2023 season when he became one of the featured players in Buffalo's offense. During the 2023 season, Cook tallied 1,122 rush yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also added 44 receptions through the air for 445 yards and an additional four touchdowns.
The 2024 season saw Cook take a small step back with his total rushing yards, but he made up for that by rushing for a whopping 16 touchdowns. He also found the end zone twice through the air as well, giving him 18 total touchdowns on the season.
This is the first time Cook has been regarded as a top 10 running back in the NFL, and based on the past two seasons he likely will continue his climb up these rankings in the years to come. So don't be surprised if Cook eventually is named the best running back in the league, because Georgia fans know his potential still hasn't even been reached yet.