NFL Draft: Redrafting the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft 26. Ezekiel Elliot
Originally selected 4th overall (-22)
There’s no polite way to say it, so I’m just going to go for it. Paxton Lynch in the first round is one of the most embarrassingly bad NFL Draft picks in the history of the league. It makes the Bears trading up for Mitchell Trubisky a year later look like the work of a genius.
It goes without saying that the Denver Broncos will be looking for another shot in this redraft scenario. Unfortunately for them, there won’t be any serviceable quarterback options remaining. Fortunately for them, they can’t possibly screw up a pick in hindsight.
This time around, the Broncos will pick up Ezekiel Elliot out of Ohio State. Everybody knows what Zeke is capable of, so there’s only so much that I can say to hype him up.
He’s one of the most talented running backs in the league — two All-Pro selections and a trio of Pro Bowl appearances will attest to that. He has also led the league in rushing yards twice in his career.
Why did he fall this far? To be honest, I am a believer that no team should draft a running back in the first round. There are a few exceptions, but the Cowboys’ offensive line was instrumental in his career success. There’s only so much a runningback can do in a bad situation.
That said, the Broncos have shown that they are capable of putting together a competent offensive line, so there’s no reason to believe that Zeke wouldn’t find success in Denver. He’d be a better pick than Paxton Lynch, that’s for sure.