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RB Ezekiel Elliott, NE (3 Viewers)

 

An NFL scout called Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott a "complete three-down back" who's "really good."
This is basically what everyone says. There's essentially no nits to pick with Elliott except that he got frustrated after the Michigan State game and vented publicly. But no scout would waste his anonymous quote talking about those two minutes. Well, except this Bad Vibe Brad: "Declaring for the draft and making those statements right after a loss were very disappointing. Is he a selfish player? Is it all about him? He's going to have to answer a lot of questions." Elliott ran a 4.47 40 at the Combine. ESPN's Bill Polian and NFL Media's Lance Zierlein comp Elliott to former Colts RB Edgerrin James.

 
 
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 
Mar 1 - 7:17 PM

 
Sporting News NFL ‏@sn_nfl  21m21 minutes ago
Ezekiel Elliott = Top 10 pick in our latest Mock Draft http://www.sportingnews.com/list/4696822-nfl-mock-draft-2016-order-quarterbacks-stock-projection 



Ccj1jFVW8AA4R3-.jpg




 
 

CBS Sports draft analyst Dane Brugler noted that Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott "has the résumé of a playmaker and is extremely well-rounded, doing some of his best work away from the ball."
"[Elliott] is outstanding at syncing his eyes with his feet to read, cut and go in a fluid motion, displaying the playmaking traits to make an impact runner from day one," Brugler wrote. The 6-foot, 225-pounder remains the top running back in this class and did nothing to hurt that status at the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.47-second 40-yard dash while turning in a 32.5-inch vertical jump and 118-inch broad jump. There's been recent noise that Elliott might even be worming his way into the conversation as a top-5 pick, with ESPN's Louis Riddick tweeting that he would be "shocked" if Elliott wasn't plucked up within the first four picks. An early March mock draft by NFL Media's Charles Davis had the Cowboys selecting Elliott at No. 4. It's still hard to see this realistically happening, but if the Buckeye standout is drafted in the top-5, Dallas is the most logical landing spot given that the Chargers already have Melvin Gordon rostered.

 
 
Source: CBS Sports 
Mar 6 - 1:45 PM

 
NFL Media reporter Kimberly Jones reported that multiple evaluators used the word "special" when asked about Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott.
We'd agree. "Talk about everything you're looking for in a back -- can they run, good vision, good feet, quickness, can they catch the ball, can they pass-protect, play as a RB all three downs, unique skill set, has played at a high level in the biggest games," one GM said. "[Elliott] checks all the boxes." The 6-foot, 225-pounder ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash while turning in a 32.5-inch vertical jump and a 118-inch broad jump at the Combine. Elliott was the seventh-fastest 225-plus pound running back to run in Indy since 2003 (Ronnie Brown and Rashard Mendenhall were the two first-rounders from that group). All evaluators surveyed preferred Elliott to Derrick Henry.

 
 
Source: NFL.com 
Mar 7 - 9:15 PM

 
 

Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliot had an 88-percent similarity score with Todd Gurley based on Combine athletic testing.
Remember, Gurley was held out of most drills at last year's combine as he recovered from a torn ACL, so this isn't exactly a 1:1 comparison. However, just as Gurley was the most well-rounded back in last year's draft, so too is Elliott, who multiple evaluators referred to as "special" when speaking with NFL Media's Kimberly Jones in Indianapolis a little over a week ago. The 6-foot, 225-pounder could also see a similar draft slot to Gurley. The latter was drafted by the Rams at No. 10. Early in the pre-draft process, we saw analysts peg Elliott as a potential late-teens, early-twenties first-round selection. He should be considered borderline top-10 at this point. The Buckeye great has done nothing in the past few months to cause scouting eyebrows to raise.

 
Source: Pro Football Focus 
Mar 8 - 7:50 PM
 
 

Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson says Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott "may be the most complete running back prospect to come out of college since Adrian Peterson."
That comment comes at the very end of an informative, in-depth breakdown of the Buckeye stud. To sum up: "Elliott doesn’t have a weakness to his game." Zeke is big, fast, well-rounded, comes equipped with great agility and instincts and is a sensational blocker (allowed a total of one sack on 108 pass-blocking snaps last year). Monson tries to nitpick and this is the best he can do: "Every now and then there will be a play where there is enough space that you want him to take it to the house, and he’ll come up short. However, on the other 150 carries either side of that play, he will gain more yardage than virtually any other running back you can find, and he’ll do it while locking down his man in pass protection and throwing the occasional useful block on scrambles." Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer says Elliott is "the best player I’ve ever coached without the ball in his hand."

 
 
Source: Pro Football Focus 
Mar 8 - 4:10 PM

 
http://thefakefootball.com/dynasty-draft-profile-ezekiel-elliott/?utm_source=ReviveOldPost&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost


Dynasty Draft Profile: Ezekiel Elliott




http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/03/20/national-analyst-elliott-might-best-player-draft-cowboys-need-stud-like-rb-offensive-success

..."I think [Elliott] might be the best overall player in the whole draft,"Baldinger said on NFL Network. "I don't think I'm overstating that. I just think his tape shows that. I thought when they could not figure out a way to keep DeMarco Murray last year, that this team was going to go down, and they did. They went from 12-4 to 4-12. Other things happened. However, I think with that offensive line and the way they want to play football -- nothing against what [Darren] McFadden did this year, but we know his injury history -- they need a stud at that position. That's what I think what their offensive success is predicated on."

...Bob Sturm profiled Elliott and said the following:

"He is a game-breaker and can get to top speed in the blink of an eye. Running out of that Urban Meyer spread, he is exclusively a shotgun back, but you see how he can use a turbo boost that puts him in the secondary in a blink. He also gets skinny through holes and is decisive in his reads. He changes directions well and with wiggle to lose guys. He dominates inside and outside as a back and runs with sub-4.5 speed and also the power you want from a guy who weighs 225. Then, he catches the ball out of the backfield with ease and can use that speed out on the edge. He will attack you in multiple ways. But, honestly, what makes him unique is that Ohio State asked him at times to be a lead blocker for others or a pass protector for his QB and almost without fail, he did it with maximum effort and proficiency."

...Rich Eisen, also with the NFL Network, recently said this of the Cowboys and Elliott:

"If you think Elliot is a LeVeon Bell type of talent, you think he can bring to you what Bell is bringing to the Steelers, and you've got Romo for two, three, maybe four more years, and you've got Dez Bryant, how do you not pull the trigger on Elliot...

 
No one has mocked Elliott to the Ravens, I don't think.  Why is that?  

They don't have a back as good as DMC in DAL last year, or even as good as Mathews in PHI.

 
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The mock I just completed (not posted yet) has Elliott to the Ravens.

Ozzy usually takes BPA or close to it and Zeke fits that profile.

 
Prior to the Almo signing, I pegged 4 potential landing spots for Zeke in the top ten:

Dallas, Baltimore, Philly, NYG

Dallas is out IMO with Almo and DMC in tow.

Baltimore is a legit spot. Ozzie Newsome had great success taking Jamal Lewis at #5 overall and is notorious for taking BPA.

Philly I don't buy as much as others. I don't think they value RBs enough and have too many other roster holes.

NYG is a legit spot. They could definitely use Zeke's talents to help Manning/ODB take that offense to a whole new level over the next five years.

As are Chicago at #11, Miami at #13, Oakland at #14 and Indy at #18. I think that's his absolute floor.

 
Maybe the contract terms will sway me, but I don't see a guy like Morris altering their draft plans.  If they were that hot on his talent they would have signed him much earlier IMO.  EZE is a 3 down stud, Morris is a 2-down banger.  There is room on every NFL roster for both if the price is right.

 
Maybe the contract terms will sway me, but I don't see a guy like Morris altering their draft plans.  If they were that hot on his talent they would have signed him much earlier IMO.  EZE is a 3 down stud, Morris is a 2-down banger.  There is room on every NFL roster for both if the price is right.
I don't either. I own morris in a few dynasty leagues and not all that optimistic lol

 
Maybe the contract terms will sway me, but I don't see a guy like Morris altering their draft plans.  If they were that hot on his talent they would have signed him much earlier IMO.  EZE is a 3 down stud, Morris is a 2-down banger.  There is room on every NFL roster for both if the price is right.
True but the immediate value on return for Zeke vs Alf and DMC probably isn't as much as the improvement that Ramsey/Bosa/Buckner/Jack would give them on defense. 

 
https://twitter.com/Jeff_McLane/status/712029886341390336


Jeff McLaneVerified account@Jeff_McLane


Of the 68 NFL RBs that eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in the last decade, 50 were drafted in rounds 1-3 and 18 in 4-7 or were undrafted.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20160322_Are_Eagles_really_interested_in_Ezekiel_Elliott_.html

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Could the Eagles draft Ezekiel Elliott with the eighth pick overall in April's draft?

Howie Roseman wants the rest of the NFL to think so, or so it would seem. The Eagles vice president of football operations never mentioned the Ohio State product by name on Monday, but it was clear he was referencing Elliott when asked about the value of selecting a running back early in the draft.

"There's this narrative that you can get running backs in the fifth, sixth, seventh round and undrafted free agency," Roseman said at the league meetings. "But when you look back at the last 10 years of guys that are really in the top 10 in rushing, those guys are high picks.

"And so, when you find a special talent at that position, that guy who can run the ball, who can pass protect, who can catch the ball out of the backfield, that's a unique weapon."

...  Roseman didn't dispute that Mathews was on the market this offseason, but when Murray was shipped to the Titans for a better fourth-round pick (and the unloading of his albatross contract) the Eagles didn't have the luxury to part with another tailback.

"When we looked at that position going into the offseason, we said that if we had the chance to get value for one of those guys [we would trade them], because we felt like we had three kind of front-line guys and then some young players we wanted to develop," Roseman said. "We did that with DeMarco. So as we sit here now, [Matthews is] an important part of our team."

As we sit here now.

That's not exactly a ringing endorsement.

... The most effective offenses run schemes based on their talent, and Elliott, if many scouts are proved right, could be too good to pass up.
... for Eagles purposes, he could be a smokescreen Roseman is using to deflect other teams from his ideal early first-round target.


Louis RiddickVerified account@LRiddickESPN


Suddenly it doesn't sound so crazy that Ezekiel Elliott could go top 5....#LOL #butyoucanttakearbthathigh
https://twitter.com/IanWhetstone/status/712782039406284800


Ian Whetstone@IanWhetstone


@JayJayBR02 @LRiddickESPN Total fallacy. There's been 523 thousand yard seasons since 1970; 366 of them were produced by 1st & 2nd rounders.
 
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Maybe the contract terms will sway me, but I don't see a guy like Morris altering their draft plans.  If they were that hot on his talent they would have signed him much earlier IMO.  EZE is a 3 down stud, Morris is a 2-down banger.  There is room on every NFL roster for both if the price is right.
There is absolutely no chance Dallas takes Elliot at four. None.

 
If these naysayers knew now what they didnt know last year when Gurley went #10 they would all say Gurley is a stone cold lock top 4 pick today..these same non-believers said Gurley cant do x,y,Z.

Gurley looks like the next great NFL RB.

If you are of the same opinion about Zeke Elliott that others had about Gurley last season you are missing the boat. 

Cant miss prospects rarely miss

If he goes to Cleveland we can cross that bridge when or if it happens..but he's a lock top 10 pick and most likely a top 4 pick. His elite blocking ability makes him a super hot commodity. I read some nfl inder reports stating that Ohio state's pro day this year might have been the best pro day ever. There was an embarrassment of riches in talent on display.

 
If these naysayers knew now what they didnt know last year when Gurley went #10 they would all say Gurley is a stone cold lock top 4 pick today..these same non-believers said Gurley cant do x,y,Z.

Gurley looks like the next great NFL RB.

If you are of the same opinion about Zeke Elliott that others had about Gurley last season you are missing the boat. 

Cant miss prospects rarely miss

If he goes to Cleveland we can cross that bridge when or if it happens..but he's a lock top 10 pick and most likely a top 4 pick. His elite blocking ability makes him a super hot commodity. I read some nfl inder reports stating that Ohio state's pro day this year might have been the best pro day ever. There was an embarrassment of riches in talent on display.
Keep in mind Gurley was coming off a major injury.

 
Keep in mind Gurley was coming off a major injury.
True and also Gurley was the one that had to break the "RBs don't get drafted early" idea that was there recently. Where as Zeke gets to walk into a situation where the league saw the early RB come in and have an immediate impact. 

As for Zeke, I heard the Dynasty Nerds say he could've been the 1.01 in next years class. I purposely try to avoid classes that until January of they're draft year. However, I know there's 2 or 3 very highly touted RBs next year. So, Gurley was the special/freak/whatever and Zeke is the best RB in awhile, is kind of the vibe I'm getting. 

 
If these naysayers knew now what they didnt know last year when Gurley went #10 they would all say Gurley is a stone cold lock top 4 pick today..these same non-believers said Gurley cant do x,y,Z.

Gurley looks like the next great NFL RB.

If you are of the same opinion about Zeke Elliott that others had about Gurley last season you are missing the boat. 

Cant miss prospects rarely miss

If he goes to Cleveland we can cross that bridge when or if it happens..but he's a lock top 10 pick and most likely a top 4 pick. His elite blocking ability makes him a super hot commodity. I read some nfl inder reports stating that Ohio state's pro day this year might have been the best pro day ever. There was an embarrassment of riches in talent on display.
I'm sorry, I love this guy, but he's just not gonna go in the top four.

 
http://thefakefootball.com/dynasty-draft-profile-ezekiel-elliott/?utm_source=ReviveOldPost&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost


Dynasty Draft Profile: Ezekiel Elliott




http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2016/03/20/national-analyst-elliott-might-best-player-draft-cowboys-need-stud-like-rb-offensive-success

..."I think [Elliott] might be the best overall player in the whole draft,"Baldinger said on NFL Network. "I don't think I'm overstating that. I just think his tape shows that. I thought when they could not figure out a way to keep DeMarco Murray last year, that this team was going to go down, and they did. They went from 12-4 to 4-12. Other things happened. However, I think with that offensive line and the way they want to play football -- nothing against what [Darren] McFadden did this year, but we know his injury history -- they need a stud at that position. That's what I think what their offensive success is predicated on."

...Bob Sturm profiled Elliott and said the following:

"He is a game-breaker and can get to top speed in the blink of an eye. Running out of that Urban Meyer spread, he is exclusively a shotgun back, but you see how he can use a turbo boost that puts him in the secondary in a blink. He also gets skinny through holes and is decisive in his reads. He changes directions well and with wiggle to lose guys. He dominates inside and outside as a back and runs with sub-4.5 speed and also the power you want from a guy who weighs 225. Then, he catches the ball out of the backfield with ease and can use that speed out on the edge. He will attack you in multiple ways. But, honestly, what makes him unique is that Ohio State asked him at times to be a lead blocker for others or a pass protector for his QB and almost without fail, he did it with maximum effort and proficiency."

...Rich Eisen, also with the NFL Network, recently said this of the Cowboys and Elliott:

"If you think Elliot is a LeVeon Bell type of talent, you think he can bring to you what Bell is bringing to the Steelers, and you've got Romo for two, three, maybe four more years, and you've got Dez Bryant, how do you not pull the trigger on Elliot...
That is ridiculous 

 
Zeke is a pretty special RB.

But a better pedigree than Gurley out of college? Nope. Don't think anyone who watched them both would pick Zeke... would they?

 
Zeke is a pretty special RB.

But a better pedigree than Gurley out of college? Nope. Don't think anyone who watched them both would pick Zeke... would they?
There was a large minority of people who thought Gordon was better (Gordon still could be, I guess, but it doesn't seem that way at this point). There's always people who will think player X is better than player Y, for whatever reason. 

I think outside of Gurley (maybe) and AP, Elliot could rival any other back in the league. Bell and Forte were second round picks. Charles a 3rd. Martin was pick 31. When you roll through the recent studs of the position I don't think there's been as much excitement/expectations as Zeke. Gurley had questions about his injury that he had to answer but if he would've flopped, there was an easy reason to explain it. So it was easier for people to get on that bandwagon. Not saying anyone did this but maybe some did. 

I've said it before but I'd say Zeke is like Emmitt. It was a different time but Smith went 17 overall. I think Zeke could do the same. My guess is that he goes between 13 and 18. Miami at 13, Oakland at 14, Detriot at 16, Indy at 18. The Giants and Bears before that are maybes but I think there's better options available in that range that would help them more. Obviously, I feel the same way about the teams before that. 

There's 2 QBs, 2-3 OTs, 3 DBs, 2-3 DL and 1 LB that are likely to go before Elliot. That's 10-12 players. 

 
Pro Football Focus indicated that Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott has separated himself from other backs due to an "all-purpose game that is personified by blocking efficiency."
"Elliott has the potential to break the current NFL trend of running back devaluation based upon an all-around skillset that projects him as one of the best prospects offered at the position in many years," PFF's analysis team noted. Among Elliott's traits that the outlet focused on, his cutting ability, his blocking and his catching. To the catching, Elliott dropped just three of 55 catchable balls over the last two seasons. They believe the Ohio State product's combination of positive attributes "will immediately allow him to become an every-down lead back with top-ten overall first-round value." Earlier in March, NFL Media's Brian Baldinger called the 6-foot, 225-pounder the best player (regardless of position) in this spring's pool

 
 
Source: Pro Football Focus 
Mar 24 - 6:57 PM

 
The Eagles moved up to 8 because the Dolphins are dumb.

"Hey, we'll take your two average players with bloated contracts if you'll let us move down five spots."

"Uhh..okay."

 
The Eagles moved up to 8 because the Dolphins are dumb.

"Hey, we'll take your two average players with bloated contracts if you'll let us move down five spots."

"Uhh..okay."
Rosemann (holding hand over phone):  They are offering to move down in the 1st round!

Pederson:  Nu-uhh.......

Rosemann:  No, really!

Pederson:  :giggle:

 
In a dynasty format today, how many RBs would you take over him (before you even know where he'll end up).  I think it's more than RB landscape than anything, but I have a hard time coming up with more than 5, if even that many.

 
In a dynasty format today, how many RBs would you take over him (before you even know where he'll end up).  I think it's more than RB landscape than anything, but I have a hard time coming up with more than 5, if even that many.
Gurley and Bell the only sure ones.

Then personal preference between guys like DJ, Elliott, Freeman.  I'd take Elliott 3rd RB overall, but in a tier quite a bit below the top 2.

 
Gurley and Bell the only sure ones.

Then personal preference between guys like DJ, Elliott, Freeman.  I'd take Elliott 3rd RB overall, but in a tier quite a bit below the top 2.
I bet this was said a TON about TRich as well at one point

Having a guy at 3 who's never played an NFL snap... Riskayyyyyyyyy... And I love me some risk

 
I bet this was said a TON about TRich as well at one point

Having a guy at 3 who's never played an NFL snap... Riskayyyyyyyyy... And I love me some risk
It has more to do with the pathetic dynasty RB landscape.  Who is worth taking above him?  It isn't like DJ or Freeman have much of a history or top pedigree.

id bet on Elliott outperforming either of those guys over the next 3-5 years all day.

tons of average low pedigree RBs have looked great in limited samples.  I'll bet on the Ferrari.

 
Quote

Pro Football Focus analyst Michael Renner wrote that "n terms of elusiveness, vision and power, I just don’t see an elite player [in Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott]."





 







Renner specifically points to the fact that despite Elliott receiving the seventh-most carries in the country with 291 last season, he broke "only" 54 tackles (which ranked 18th). The analyst goes on to pull out a draft ghost from recent times, writing, "Like Melvin Gordon a year ago, I don’t believe Elliot has that special ability to overcome a poor run-blocking line at the next level." Rotoworld draft analyst Josh Norris does not have the same concerns, ranking Elliott as his No. 2 overall player for the 2016 class. Norris refers to him as a "foundation piece of an NFL offense."





 




 




Source: Pro Football Focus 




Mar 28 - 2:45 PM











 


 

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