Cowboys' Jerry Jones Admits Ezekiel Elliott Was Picked 'Too High' in 2016 NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys released veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott this offseason, and on Monday team owner Jerry Jones admitted that using the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 draft to select him might have been a misallocation of resources.

"Zeke was [picked] too high for us," he told reporters.

Defenders of taking Elliott that high might point out that the three-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro averaged 1,180 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in his seven seasons in Dallas, serving as a focal point for an offense that reached the postseason four times.

In his prime, he was one of the best running backs in football, and the Cowboys wore out opponents behind an elite offensive line and their powerful tailback. What they didn't do, however, is win a championship utilizing that philosophy.

And so detractors of selecting a running back that high might point out that the Cowboys could have taken several stars at more important positions, most notably cornerback Jalen Ramsey (No. 5 overall).

Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner (No. 7 overall) and a number of talented offensive lineman—tackles Ronnie Staley (No. 6 overall) and Laremy Tunsil (No. 13 overall) and guard Jack Conklin (No. 8 overall)—were also still on the board. All have either been All-Pro or Pro Bowl selections.

Additionally, people against taking Elliott at No. 4 overall will note that the Cowboys found his replacement, Tony Pollard, in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, and that very good options at the position can be found on the second and third day of the draft.

Or they might point out that retaining Elliott past his rookie contract meant signing him to a six-year, $90 million deal that seriously taxed the team's cap space, which became all the more punishing as the 27-year-old's effectiveness waned in recent seasons (he averaged a career-worst 3.8 yards per carry this past season, while Pollard averaged an electric 5.2 yards per attempt).

That made his release this offseason feel almost inevitable, even if he had become a fixture in the organization.

And then there's the argument that the NFL has moved to more of a passing league than a running one, and putting resources into positions like quarterback, wide receiver and offensive tackle makes more sense than spending big—both at the draft and on the cap sheet—than it does at running back.

Add it up, and the folks arguing against selecting a running back with the fourth overall pick made a more substantial and convincing argument, to the point that the organization that drafted Elliott even agrees that it was probably something of a mistake.

Ramsey—a six-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro selection, one-time Super Bowl champion and arguably the best cornerback in football—would have been the smarter selection. And now Jones has essentially, and finally, admitted it.