The New York Giants haven’t had a dynamic lead back in quite some time. The team could fill that void by drafting Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott
The last time a New York Giants running back rushed for over 1,000 yards was in 2012 when Ahmad Bradshaw finished the season with 1,015.
Since then, it’s been a spell of mediocrity for Big Blue’s running game. Andre Brown led the Giants in rushing yards in 2013 with 492 yards, and Andre Williams led the team last year with 721. That combined total is 1,213.
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That’s a frightening number, especially when considering that’s considered a decent season for some backs.
This season’s rushing woes haven’t been a surprise. The team simply doesn’t have a lead, bell-cow back, which is why I vehemently wanted the team to select Todd Gurley in last year’s draft. Alas, Gurley is now having a Rookie of the Year season in St. Louis, and he looks like he’s going to be a perennial Pro Bowler.
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Luckily for the Giants, there’s another special back in this year’s draft and his name is Ezekiel Elliott. The MVP from last year’s National Championship Game is a player who can be a team’s lead back for years to come.
First and foremost, he’s the best back in this draft, and it’s not even close, in my opinion. He’s a complete back, and he’ll be the most complete back the Giants have had since the aforementioned Barber.
Let’s address the elephant in the article early and discuss his “character” issues. After the Buckeyes lost to Michigan State, Elliott said he ‘deserves more than (12) carries,’ according to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports.
Feldman noted he asked an unnamed NFL scout if Elliott’s comments would affect his draft stock.
“Not really. If anything, I agree with him. It’s just a young kid being frustrated. You’ve just got to tell him to hold his emotions,” the scout said. “Teams will ask him about it but he’s the furthest thing from a malicious kid. He is a good, solid team guy.”
“On film, he shows flashes of Le’Veon Bell, but he’s not as big or as physical. I think the best way to classify the talented Elliott is by labeling him as a more-athletic Arian Foster.”
The scout went on to give his evaluation of Elliott as a player.
“He’s not as physical finishing runs as Carlos Hyde, but he’s got better top-end speed. He’s not Todd Gurley, but he’s a complete back. I think he’s the real deal and he’ll probably be a late first-round pick.”
So there you have it. Elliott is in fact, not a bad kid. Shocker (not really).
His situation after the team’s loss to MSU is no different from when Adrian Peterson was critical of his head coach after only receiving eight touches in a loss in Seattle.
Basically, Elliott’s “character” issues shouldn’t persuade the Giants to not draft him. After all, this kid has the potential to be something special.
If you need true validation for how good Elliott can be, go watch some highlights from Ohio State’s dominant win over Oregon. In the biggest game of his collegiate career, Elliott carried the ball 36 times for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
At 6-0 and 225 lbs., Elliott has the power to run through some defenders, as well as the speed to evade others. He’s not a true power back like Eddie Lacy and he’s not a scat back like Reggie Bush. He’s a perfect blend, like Arnold Palmer tea.
When he gets the ball in his hand, he displays good patience and vision. And while he’s not a true power back by trade, that doesn’t mean he’s not a tough runner. Elliott fights for every yard and he has a high motor. The intensity and drive he plays with is similar to the one Odell Beckham Jr. plays with. Both guys have a love for the game.
His passion is something that could be a spark plug for the offense. If you remember, Ahmad Bradshaw‘s emotional play style helped motivate the offense at times.
Elliott has good foot work and can stop and cut on a dime. He’s just a very, very smooth runner, and it’s difficult to find any glaring issues with the way he runs the football. Elliott had 11 100-yard games in 2015, with the only blemish being the perplexing 12-carry game against MSU.
As a downfield blocker, Elliott can be remorselessly aggressive.
Maybe it’s a desire to hit the guys who knock him down all game. Whatever it is, Elliott’s blocking ability is something coaches will like.
Elliott is a great athlete, too. As a senior track star, Elliott ran the 100-meter dash in 10.95 seconds and the 200-meter hurdles in 22.05 seconds. He has a penchant for hurdling players in the open field, but that’s what you get to do when you’re a tremendous athlete.
What the most intriguing thing about Elliott is his potential to be a home-run hitter for the Giants. According to NFLDraftScout.com, Elliott has a low 40-yard-dash time of 4.32. The closest thing the Giants have had to a back with that potential since Tiki Barber retired was David Wilson.
The one thing Elliott might struggle with in the NFL is his tendency to bend runs to the outside. It worked for him at Ohio State because he was faster than everyone else. In the pros, though, that’s a strategy that may not work as well.
He’s not a great threat as a receiver, either, but that’s neither a significant issue nor a reason for the Giants to shy away from him. The Giants already have one of the best receiving backs in the game in Shane Vereen, so the need for a pass-catching back is not a problem.
If you’re looking for a pro comparison for Elliott, it’s tough to say. On film, he shows flashes of Le’Veon Bell, but he’s not as big or as physical. I think the best way to classify the talented Elliott is by labeling him as a more-athletic Arian Foster.
Like Foster, Elliott displays one-cut ability. He’s smooth and can make players miss in the open field but can also run through them if necessary. Elliott has a similar build to Foster — 6-1, 227 — too. Both players have the tendency to kind of weave their way through holes, making something out of nothing.
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Elliott isn’t as polished of a receiver, but his breakaway speed trumps Foster’s.
A lot can change from now until the draft. There will be some backs on the open market for sure, but it’s hard to see the Giants making a move for a guy like Matt Forte in free agency. Drafting Elliott would likely signal the end of Rashad Jenning’s tenure in New York, but the Buckeye would be a huge improvement over the aging and relatively pricey Jennings.
Simply put, New York’s run game is broken and Elliott is a player who can completely fix it.
New York has to make some improvements on defense, but Elliott is a player who could finally fix the running back situation for the Giants. Elliott’s production in Fiesta Bowl will serve as a final audition tape for Jerry Reese, or whoever’s the general manager when the draft rolls around.