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Dallas Cowboys: Should Not Draft Ezekiel Elliott

By Nick Ziegler

Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) carries the ball as Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Romeo Okwara (45) defends during the second half in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) carries the ball as Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Romeo Okwara (45) defends during the second half in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Dallas Cowboys will be on the clock with the fourth overall pick in the first-round. But recent rumblings about who they will take are surprising.

With the NFL Draft just hours away, the Dallas Cowboys are reportedly interested in selecting running back Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth-pick. According to Greg Gabriel, Jason Garrett is pushing for the team to draft Elliott.

While Elliott is a very talented player, it isn’t the position of need for the Cowboys. Last season, Darren McFadden had a solid season for the Cowboys, as he totaled 1,089 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and 4.6 yards per carry average. Durability has always been an issue for McFadden, and this offseason, the Cowboys added another running back to help ease McFadden’s workload.

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The signing of Alfred Morris was a quietly good move for the Cowboys, as he gives them a proven running back that can be a nice duo with McFadden. Morris has totaled over 1,000 rushing yards in three of his first four seasons in the NFL but is coming off of a down season in 2015 with the Washington Redskins. Elliott certainly has the potential to be one of the best-running backs in the NFL, but the Cowboys have other pressing needs.

Before the interest in Elliott, the Cowboys were thought to be selecting either Joey Bosa or Jalen Ramsey. Defense is certainly an area of need for the Cowboys, as either Bosa or Ramsey would be huge upgrades at their respective positions.

Dallas Cowboys
Feb 26, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott participates in drills during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Ramsey is a life-long Cowboys fan who would be able to help them in the secondary as a lock-down corner, and Bosa would give the Cowboys a much-needed pass-rusher after the Greg Hardy experiment failed.

The interest in Elliott from the Cowboys’ head coach is rather puzzling, as the most obvious needs are on defense. The thinking behind Garrett’s interest in Elliott may go back to the 2014 season.

That year, the Cowboys had their most successful season under Garrett with DeMarco Murray in the backfield. With Murray on the roster, the Cowboys’ running game was exceptional and it had a trickle-down effect on the team. Tony Romo and the passing attack was extremely efficient in 2014, and the great running game also kept the Cowboys’ defense off the field. That defensive unit was projected to be one of the worst of all-time in 2014, but the great running game helped hide their problems.

The combination of McFadden and Morris won’t be as productive as Murray was in 2014, but these are two 1,000-yard rushers in their career, and can help the Cowboys once again have a great rushing attack. Elliott is projected to be a three-down back, which means drafting him would make McFadden and Morris rather useless in 2016, and they are too good of players for that to happen.

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With two good running backs on the roster, the Cowboys would be wasting the fourth-pick in the draft if they took Elliott, as running back isn’t the position they need to address.

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