Ezekiel Elliot

It makes too much sense to take him at #4. Dude was catching passes like a WR at his Pro Day.

If they can't get Wentz or Goff, this guy is the player who absolutely guarantees the most impact.

Would be huge in our offense. Ideally if they settle on him being the guy they could move down a few spots and get him, but there's quite a few teams behind us that may want him too.

Ultimately if they take him at 4 I won't complain.

too much of a luxury. bigger needs elsewhere. would hate to see him land in NY or Philly, however.

bbgun said:

too much of a luxury. bigger needs elsewhere. would hate to see him land in NY or Philly, however.

Keep reading...

As we saw with Murray, a great run game does impact our defense a great deal.

Elliott is more talented than Murray

bbgun said:

would hate to see him land in NY or Philly, however.

Keep reading...

Yep, I'm still glad the Giants passed on Gurley.

certainly more talented then Murray. But would he really make that much of a difference over someone else we could get later on in the draft?

Think on this: the NFL record would only work out to about another 20 yards a game more than what Murray got here. Now if he could crank out a bunch of TDs especially long ones that could make a real difference. But once again how many more then if we got one later in the draft? Maybe 4 or 5 more TDs possibly. I do not see where that makes him worth the pick - I just do not see him being worth the #4 pick because he ain't the second coming of Adrian Peterson or even Gurley.

onlyonenow said:

certainly more talented then Murray. But would he really make that much of a difference over someone else we could get later on in the draft?

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Probably so. That's why scouts have him rated where they do and some draft nerds even talking about him being one of the 3 or 4 best players in the draft. He has special traits, not ordinary traits. He also is absolutely a 3 down back where as many of these guys coming out now probably arnt.

- I just do not see him being worth the #4 pick because he ain't the second coming of Adrian Peterson or even Gurley.

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First, how do you know he wont be an exceptional player like Gurley or Peterson?

Second, all this crap about him not being worth the 4th pick is exactly that- crap. Especially now with the rookie slotting. I could understand the argument more before they changed the way rookies got paid.

Basically the people arguing against him are saying "I'd rather pass on the almost sure thing difference maker for the 50/50 guy because you just don't draft a RB that high"

If Elliott goes to a bad team, his impact will be limited. If Elliott ends up on the Cowboys with this OL and a healthy Romo & Dez, he's an all pro caliber player almost from day one.

I'm still firmly in the draft Wentz or Goff group but if they cant get one of those guys, I see absolutely nothing wrong with taking Elliott at 4 if they either cant trade down a few spots or are afraid to because so many teams behind us really need a guy like him.

dbair1967 said:

Probably so. That's why scouts have him rated where they do and some draft nerds even talking about him being one of the 3 or 4 best players in the draft. He has special traits, not ordinary traits. He also is absolutely a 3 down back where as many of these guys coming out now probably arnt.



First, how do you know he wont be an exceptional player like Gurley or Peterson?

Second, all this crap about him not being worth the 4th pick is exactly that- crap. Especially now with the rookie slotting. I could understand the argument more before they changed the way rookies got paid.

Basically the people arguing against him are saying "I'd rather pass on the almost sure thing difference maker for the 50/50 guy because you just don't draft a RB that high"

If Elliott goes to a bad team, his impact will be limited. If Elliott ends up on the Cowboys with this OL and a healthy Romo & Dez, he's an all pro caliber player almost from day one.

I'm still firmly in the draft Wentz or Goff group but if they cant get one of those guys, I see absolutely nothing wrong with taking Elliott at 4 if they either cant trade down a few spots or are afraid to because so many teams behind us really need a guy like him.

Keep reading...

I am laughing at the idea that elliot is on a level with Peterson= show me anyone that has any real connection (coach, etc) that says Elliot is as good as peterson.

I'm not ok with Elliot at 4. I like prospects better that high and I actually really like Booker as an early third round option at RB.

That and Elliot has some character concerns for me. I didn't like the tweet after the game this past season callin out his coaches. Like to see that shit kept in house. And supposedly he didn't do good during the interview process at the combine. Also, awhile back I read a rumor about him pulling himself from his high school state championship game with it on the line because he was tired.. So I'd have to look into all of that first.

Trade down some and I love the Elliot pick, otherwise not at 4. Jack, Ramsey, Goff, and probably Bosa are higher IMO.

onlyonenow said:

I am laughing at the idea that elliot is on a level with Peterson= show me anyone that has any real connection (coach, etc) that says Elliot is as good as peterson.

Keep reading...

It doesn't matter how he relates to those guys, they arnt in this draft. Where he gets picked is relative to the guys in THIS draft.

This is one blurb from his pro day:

What we learned from Ohio State pro day: Elliott 'steals show'


Chase Goodbread
College Football 24/7 writer

Entering his pro day, Ezekiel Elliott was already entrenched as the best running back available in the 2016 NFL Draft. After his workout at Ohio State on Friday, he's making a case for being the best player in the draft.

With four NFL head coaches and five front office executives among more than 100 club representatives in Columbus to see the Buckeyes' extensive contingent of draft prospects, nobody impressed more than Elliott, according to NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt:


With a 4.47 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, Elliott entered his pro day without the pressure of having to run the 40 again. He caught passes with ease from quarterback Cardale Jones (including a one-hander while talking on the phone), and built on his reputation as one the draft's fastest-rising prospects.

All five NFL Media analysts with mock drafts have Elliott as a top-20 pick and the first running back chosen, with analyst Charles Davis predicting him to go No. 4 overall to the Dallas Cowboys.

Here are five other things we learned from the Buckeyes' pro day:

2. Defensive end Joey Bosa wasn't pleased with his 4.86-second 40 time at the combine, so he ran it again on Friday. Unofficial times in the mid 4.7s for Bosa, reported by NFL Media's Albert Breer, suggest significant improvement for the potential top-five pick. He also improved his bench press reps from the combine from 24 to 28. As for the broad jump, Ohio State did not release results from the event, but one of Bosa's warmups was captured on social media from a goal line to just beyond the 3-yard line, indicating a jump exceeding 9 feet. Following his workout, he reportedly met with the San Francisco 49ers, who hold the No. 7 pick in the draft.

3. Bosa wasn't the only Ohio State player who wasn't pleased with his combine 40 time. Braxton Miller, who had expected to run in the 4.3s, was clocked at 4.50 in Indianapolis. And like Bosa, he improved on that at his pro day -- unofficially, at least. Miller was clocked at 4.36 on one stopwatch, the kind of time that can make a difference on draft day for a player projected as a second-round selection.

4. A pulled hamstring caused Cardale Jones to pull out of the throwing drills at the combine, so his throws on Friday drew even more attention. And while he wasn't always accurate, his outstanding velocity was unmistakable. With his private quarterback coach, George Whitfield, keeping the scripted throwing session on pace, Jones left zero doubts about his arm strength. "Me, personally, I thought it was a B-plus," Jones said, according to the Columbus Dispatch. "I missed a couple passes."

5. WR Michael Thomas, expected to be a second-day pick (Rounds 2 and 3) said he was timed in the high 4.4s in the 40-yard dash.

6. Bosa's younger brother Nick, an incoming freshman at OSU, left little doubt about which NFL team he'd like to see draft his brother.

Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.

3 of the 4 guys who cover the draft (incl Daniel Jeremiah)at nfl.com have Elliott in their top-6 players on their top-50 boards. The one who doesn't has him at 9.

dbair1967 said:

3 of the 4 guys who cover the draft (incl Daniel Jeremiah)at nfl.com have Elliott in their top-6 players on their top-50 boards. The one who doesn't has him at 9.

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what part of all the garbage you posted says he is as good as peterson?

onlyonenow said:

what part of all the garbage you posted says he is as good as peterson?

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They have the same number of Super Bowl rings.

onlyonenow said:

what part of all the garbage you posted says he is as good as peterson?

Keep reading...

What part of "he isn't in this draft" do you not understand.

You rate players relative to who's in the SAME draft. If scouts determine the guy is worth a top-5 pick (as many seem to be indicating now) then drafting him at 4 is not out of the question. Now if those same scouts said he was only the 20th best player in the draft, drafting him at 4 would be ridiculous. Nobody is suggesting we do that.

I would prefer to get a QB at 4... but if we take Elliott I won't be complaining at all.

dbair1967 said:

Second, all this crap about him not being worth the 4th pick is exactly that- crap. Especially now with the rookie slotting. I could understand the argument more before they changed the way rookies got paid.

Keep reading...

Underrated consideration. Also, if you take him in the first, you get that 5th year option. Whereas if we take Collins in the 3rd for instance, he could be gone after 4.

peplaw06 said:

I would prefer to get a QB at 4... but if we take Elliott I won't be complaining at all.

Underrated consideration. Also, if you take him in the first, you get that 5th year option. Whereas if we take Collins in the 3rd for instance, he could be gone after 4.

Keep reading...

My preference is QB as well. Beyond that, I don't know any players that would come in and DEFINITELY have a major impact on the team. Bosa, Ramsey and Jack are all nice prospects. But every year the draft is littered with those same kinds of guys who don't pan out immediately (or worse, at all). Some have even posted a lot of historical data on DL's being picked early, who don't put up overly impressive numbers as rookies or for a couple years.

Barring injury, I don't see how Elliott could come here and NOT make a major impact. As you mentioned, we get Elliott for 5 yrs and he can be incredibly productive and dominant for all FIVE of those years at a minimum. If you want immediate ROI and immediate impact to the team to help Romo have a better chance to win a ring, he's probably the obvious choice.

peplaw06 said:

I would prefer to get a QB at 4... but if we take Elliott I won't be complaining at all.

Underrated consideration. Also, if you take him in the first, you get that 5th year option. Whereas if we take Collins in the 3rd for instance, he could be gone after 4.

Keep reading...

Another thing to consider about this pick at #4 is, IIRC, the salary is fully guaranteed and the cost for this pick will be $20-22 M, regardless of how they perform (please correct me if I'm wrong, I can't remember where I read this).

Considering they wouldn't pay Murray this much, it makes me wonder if they'll draft a RB this high and if I had to guess, I'd say the "braintrust" currently doesn't assign that high of a salary cap allocation to a RB and will pass.

Additionally, this is a pretty high cost a for QB you hope won't see the field anytime soon. I'm as pissed and critical of this organization as anyone but it appears to me they've got some tough decisions to make in this draft and unless they hit it out of the park (AKA get lucky), this draft will likely be criticized for years. It might be the most important draft they've had in 20+ years

I keep thinking trading down and picking up more picks is the best decision, assuming they get a partner at 15+ and don't short themselves on the trade value

yimyammer said:

Another thing to consider about this pick at #4 is, IIRC, the salary is fully guaranteed and the cost for this pick will be $20-22 M, regardless of how they perform (please correct me if I'm wrong, I can't remember where I read this).

Keep reading...

Small price to pay for a guy who could potentially lead the league in rushing almost every yr for all 5 of those. Is a big play threat, catches the ball and blocks at elite levels.

Considering they wouldn't pay Murray this much, it makes me wonder if they'll draft a RB this high and if I had to guess, I'd say the "braintrust" currently doesn't assign that high of a salary cap allocation to a RB and will pass.

Keep reading...

With Murray you had his age and injury history. You have neither with Elliott, who is more gifted athletically than Murray as well. Unlike other positions, if there's a top notch RB inserted onto our team with this OL, you can almost guarantee a major impact. Other positions you definitely can not say that for sure.

Additionally, this is a pretty high cost a for QB you hope won't see the field anytime soon. I'm as pissed and critical of this organization as anyone but it appears to me they've got some tough decisions to make in this draft and unless they hit it out of the park (AKA get lucky), this draft will likely be criticized for years. It might be the most important draft they've had in 20+ years

Keep reading...

I'm reasonably sure if we take a QB at 4, he's going to see the field a lot sooner than most think. Romo's injury situation is probably not going to improve, nor is his age.

I keep thinking trading down and picking up more picks is the best decision, assuming they get a partner at 15+ and don't short themselves on the trade value

Keep reading...

I just posted the article in the draft thread, but the Philly GM is saying he sees a tremendous drop off in talent after the top-10 picks

Had a post saying basically the same as yim, don't know where it went...

But anyway, yeah. The top of the draft isn't making ridiculous Sam Bradford money anymore, but #4 overall still makes a lot. And I wouldn't be surprised if this braintrust doesn't think a back is worth that in today's game.

That said, I love Elliott and have since he ran all over Bama in the playoff a couple of years ago.

Good points Dbair & TE, I don't have a clue how to judge talent but I'd agree about the RB position having the quickest impact although they got pretty fast impact from Z Martin by all appearances.

I don't know what they should do, very tough decisions looming imo