Doug Martin's Training Reportedly Factors in Buccaneers Passing on Dalvin Cook

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were considered a popular landing spot for Florida State running back Dalvin Cook at No. 19 throughout the predraft process, but they passed on him during the first round of the 2017 NFL draft Thursday night.

As it turns out, a potential Doug Martin resurgence may be the reason why.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Bucs opted for Alabama tight end O.J. Howard over Cook because "the most impressive player thus far in training has been Doug Martin."

Martin, 28, was a revelation for the Bucs in 2015 when he rushed for 1,402 yards and six touchdowns, but his 2016 season was marred by inconsistency and injuries.

Limited to eight games, Martin mustered a career-low 2.9 yards per carry en route to tallying 421 rushing yards and three scores.

Martin was then slapped with a four-game suspension in December for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs (Adderall). He served the first game of the punishment in Week 17, which means he'll miss the first three weeks of the 2017 season.

Tampa Bay will be back on the clock Friday at pick No. 50 overall, the 18th selection in Round 2. The Bucs also own pick No. 84 overall in Round 3.