INDIANAPOLIS — Everybody knows Zeke. And if you're an NFL Draft hopeful at running back, you are well aware of what former Ohio State star Ezekiel Elliott can do on the football field.
Donnel Pumphery makes sure he tunes into every Dallas Cowboys game. D'Onta Foreman models his game after Elliott. Leonard Fournette views the way the NFL's leading rusher rookie season as a launching pad.
“I believe it helped a lot of us running backs,” Fournette said Thursday at the NFL Combine. “By him catching the ball, running, running behind a great O-line. It helps a lot.”
The great O-line is the key. When Dallas drafted Elliott fourth overall last April, it believed he could turn into a star behind what is widely considered the best blocking group of players in football today. A total of 1,756 yards and 15 touchdowns later, the Cowboys looked pretty smart.
“Zeke did pave the way for us.”– Dalvin Cook
Elliott's rapid rise as the prototypical three-down back — one that runs well, catches the ball and can pass block effectively — helped the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. Dallas lost to Green Bay 34-31 on a last-second field goal but Elliott's romp to the rushing title proved that there still is some value in taking someone from his position so high in the draft.
As long as it is the right player.
“We just thought he was a great football player. If you look at his career, all the way back to high school, his time at Ohio State, he had such an impact on the game,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said on Wednesday. “His production spoke for itself. If you watched him on tape, he was the most dominant player on the field week in and week out. He made such a difference for their team. He did so many things, not only as a runner but as a receiver and as a blocker. There’s so much to like about him.”
Running backs don't have a long shelf life in the NFL. The pounding the position endures with linebackers and other defenders getting bigger and faster seemingly every year takes a toll. That is why it was so rare for Elliott to be a top-5 pick. Todd Gurley went 10th overall a year earlier to the now-Los Angeles Rams, the first time since 2012 a running back went in the first round. He was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2015.
The climate is shifting ever so slightly. And it gives running backs at the 2017 NFL Combine hope.
“Zeke did pave the way for us. Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, all those guys they paved the way for us,” Florida State's Dalvin Cook said on Thursday. “Zeke did a great job of catching the ball out of the backfield, protecting Dak [Prescott] at quarterback, and running very well behind a good offensive line, so he paved the way for us very good. It was a good thing for us coming in right now.”
Added Pumphery, college football's all-time leading rusher from San Diego State: “He made an immediate impact. Obviously, being the leading rusher, that’s going to boost a lot for this year’s draft.”
Garrett, however, disagrees to an extent. It has to be the right situation in what has become a copycat league.
“I think that happens around the league, whether it’s personnel, how you construct the team, what your plan on offense, defense or the kicking game from a scheme standpoint,” he said. “I think everybody is studying each other. I think if a certain model would work for your team there’s no question that I think teams try to follow it.”
Elliott is a rare breed. NFL teams are out to find the next one, however, and have a fine crop of talent to choose from. Foreman ran for more than 2,000 yards last season at Texas on his way to winning the Doak Walker Award. Fournette is a monster, who one scout said has "muscles on muscles." Cook is a terrific combo back like Elliott.
Each is a strong player in his own right. The Combine provides a chance to find a perfect fit like Elliott.
“If you look at and his work ethic throughout high school and college, he was an extremely hard worker,” Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine said. “If you find a guy who’s a hard worker, it’s going to pan out.”
