Teammate Latavius Murray (ankle) acknowledged that Cook has the early upper hand by means of his participation in the Vikings' offseason program, NFL.com's Kevin Patra reports. "Dalvin's already been through the [organized team activities], he's already been through the offseason," said Murray. "So, he has that up on me. But also, looking at it as, hey, I'm the vet, I have time in this league, I've done some good things in this league. So I have a lot to bring to the table."
Murray had surgery shortly after signing with the Vikings in March and is still expected to be ready for the start of training camp after missing the entire offseason program. His injury wasn't necessarily a factor in Minnesota's decision to trade up to No. 41 overall for Cook, as the team likely values Murray in large part for his strong track record as a goal-line runner and pass blocker, whereas the rookie offers far more upside as a potential lead runner. Coach Mike Zimmer said there will be an open competition in the backfield, and while holdover Jerick McKinnon may retain some kind of role, Murray and Cook figure to duke it out for the lead job in what likely will be a committee of sorts.