The NFL is a copycat league, but any team hoping to copy the Cowboys and draft a running back who leads the NFL in rushing next season is going to be disappointed.
At least that’s what one scout seems to be telling the MMQB.
This scout says that no running back in the 2017 draft class is quite as good as Ezekiel Elliott, who led the league last season with 1,631 rushing yards and ran for 15 touchdowns.
The good news for running back-needy teams is that Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook are second and third, respectively, on this unnamed scout’s list of running back draft grades since 2014. Joe Mixon ranks sixth on the list. Alvin Kamara is ninth and Christian McCaffrey is 10th.
“He was so well-rounded coming out of Ohio State. He’s not the fastest guy you’ll see, but his first step, burst and vision are all elite,” the scout said of Elliott. “He was so much more advanced in blocking pass protection than Gurley or Fournette. He’s a workhorse and not only a three-down back, but he could be featured in the pass game as well. If you’re looking for a pure physical runner, with the best power/speed combination that most of us have ever seen, then Fournette is your guy.”
Elliott was the first rookie running back to lead the league in rushing yards since Edgerrin James in 1999. So while it’s just one scout’s opinion that Fournette, Cook and the rest of the 2017 bunch aren’t as good as Elliott, it would be an awful lot to ask any rookie running back to match the season that Elliott had.
About Mike Batista
Mike is a longtime NFL analyst and Steelers fan. He currently writes for Steelers Addicts, and has also written for Bleacher Report.
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