Drafting Ezekiel Elliott extends Cowboys' window
The Dallas Cowboys had to confront their own mortality last season when Tony Romo and Dez Bryant suffered injuries that kept them out for long stretches of the campaign. By selecting former Ohio State standout running back Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall on Thursday, the Cowboys gave themselves a little more life, extending their window of opportunity by no longer having to rely solely on the Romo-Bryant tandem for offensive production.
Boasting the NFL's premier offensive line, the Cowboys' potential for a potent running game in 2015 never materialized with an aging Darren McFadden and erratic Joseph Randle in the backfield. Elliott, by contrast, is the turbo-charged weapon the Cowboys need to actualize that dangerous ground game, and he'll have the chance to become of the NFL's marquee backs immediately.
Running backs have a finite window of elite performance, and Elliott's prime years will line up with Romo and Bryant's last chance at a prolonged postseason run. It should be an impressive prime too; Elliott is far and away the best running back in this class - some analysts even pegged him as the best running back to enter the league since Adrian Peterson, with due consideration given to Rams sophomore Todd Gurley.
While many framed Elliott's selection as another example of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones salivating over a skill-position player and disregarding other needs, this isn't the case. Despite a talent-laden roster, Dallas slumped to its worst record since 1989 because Romo and Bryant's reinforcements couldn't step up in their absence. The Cowboys recognized that it's rare for a player of Elliott's transcendent ability to sync up with the timing of Dallas' first-round pick.
Dallas won three Super Bowls in four years with the triumvirate of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin. While it's near-heresy to suggest Romo, Bryant, and Elliott can approach the level of success the club's 1990s version enjoyed, the framework is in place for a few Super Bowl runs. After toiling in the NFL's middle class for the better part of two decades, adding Elliott makes this team the opulent, pomp-and-circumstance Cowboys that Jones and his personnel group have longed for.
Washington jumped out as the clear favorite in the NFC East when it signed Josh Norman to a five-year, $75-million contract on April 22. However, Dallas possesses more high-end talent. By selecting Elliott, the Cowboys made an aggressive statement: They'll no longer fall victim to the curse of wasted potential. The arms race is back on, making Elliott a central figure in one of the NFL's oldest rivalries.
Striding up to the podium with a million-watt smile and bringing Dallas a game that combines speed, power, explosiveness, and field vision, Elliott figures to be the next great player in Cowboys history. As the Redskins started to pull away from the division, Elliott's a formidable reinforcement for the Cowboys as they hope he can push the Romo-Bryant tandem to the next level.