Is Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott still a top 10 RB? NFL executives, coaches, players weigh in

Ezekiel Elliott is no longer viewed as a top 10 running back by his NFL peers.

In a recent ESPN survey of league executives, coaches and players asking them to rank the top 10 running backs, Elliott failed to crack the top 10 and was instead listed as one of the three honorable mentions. This came after being the seventh-ranked running back in the same ESPN survey before last season.

“He’s still a good player, but that burst he once had just doesn’t seem to be there,” an NFC executive told ESPN.

After the Cowboys drafted Elliott with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, it didn’t take long for him to become one of the best backs in the league. In his rookie season, Elliott rushed for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s rushed for over 1,000 yards in four of his six NFL seasons.

The problem is he’s going through a notable regression. Elliott’s average rushing yards per game have decreased each season, starting at 108.7 yards per game in 2016 and dropping to a career-low 58.9 in 2021.

In 2019, Elliott had a 40-day holdout before he and the Cowboys agreed to a six-year, $90 million contract extension. Elliott went on to rush for 1,357 yards and 12 touchdowns that season.

Then 979 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. And, finally, 1,002 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2021.

Cowboys great Troy Aikman and former offensive lineman Brian Baldinger have said that Elliott doesn’t have the same “burst.”

Some have even called for more touches for backup running back Tony Pollard. In 2021, Pollard averaged 5.5 yards per carry to Elliott’s 4.2.

Despite the decreased production, no NFL running back will have a higher salary this season than Elliott’s $12.4 million, which became fully guaranteed in March 2021. At $18.2 million, he counts more against his team’s 2022 salary cap than any other back.

This is the bed the Cowboys made. They have to sleep in it until next year.

Of course, it’s possible Elliott has a bounce-back season in 2022. Some of his struggles in 2021 could be attributed to a sprained ligament in his knee. Could a healthy training camp and preseason yield positive results for Elliott?

The Cowboys will find out this season. But until then, those in the league think the once-elite running back is no longer in the top 10 of his position.

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