Ashton Jeanty 'Reminded Me' of Former Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, CFB Coach Says

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has been a popular pick for the Dallas Cowboys, and one opposing coach saw shades of a former Cowboys star with Jeanty's game.

"He reminded me of Ezekiel Elliott in how he ran," the secondary coach said to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman. "I do think guys didn't go in with confidence to take him down, like some guys were intimidated by him. That ain't gonna be the case in the NFL."

There isn't a lot of physical overlap between Jeanty and Elliott. Jeanty measured in at just over 5'8" and 211 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine compared to 6'0" and 225 pounds for Elliott in 2016.

The two do have some similarities with their playing style, particularly the physicality they display when running the ball.

B/R NFL scout Dame Parson said Jeanty possesses "an elite-level contact balance and is difficult to bring down."

"Jeanty is a momentum runner who powers through arm tackles and delivers a stiff arm to break free from defenders," Parson said. "His burst and acceleration possess enough juice or explosive to pop through the line of scrimmage and reach top speed quickly in the open field."

Instead of Elliott, Parson drew a comparison to 2009 Pro Bowler DeAngelo Williams, whose 5'9" height is much closer to that of Jeanty.

Either way, the numbers speak for themselves. Jeanty ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns while averaging 7.0 yards per carry in 2024. Whoever he resembles in the NFL, the Heisman Trophy runner-up is likely to be pretty effective out of the gate.