Ezekiel Elliott NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Cowboys Rookie

POSITIVES

A true junior from St. Louis, Missouri, Ezekiel Elliott is a do-it-all specialist with elite NFL traits on every down. He is a legitimate top-10 player. During his Ohio State career, Elliott rushed for 3,961 yards and added 43 touchdowns while posting back-to-back 1,800-yard seasons in his two years as a starter.

Elliott has impressive speed for a big back, posting a 4.47-second 40-yard dash. He shows that same speed on tape, often pulling away for long runs against Big 10 competition. Elliott's 80-yarder against Virginia Tech in the 2015 opener is another example of his long speed.

With excellent start-stop quickness, Elliott can take the handoff and spot his opening before exploding into the offensive line. His first three steps are full of power and acceleration, which gets him to the line of scrimmage at a high speed with excellent body lean and balance. He's able to see cutback lanes and recognize small creases in the line that can become rushing lanes. Elliott can create on his own and does not need the line to do his job for him.

With tree-trunk legs, Elliott will run through arm tackles. He has excellent footwork and churns his legs through the contact. A tackler going for his leg is likely to get a knee to the facemask. Even at 5'11", Elliott has a stout, compact frame that can get low behind his pads. He doesn't run at full height until well into the open field.

On third down, throw it to Zeke. He posted 55 catches in a run-first offense in the last two seasons and dropped just three passes total. Not only is he a very good receiver, but Elliott is also the class' best pass- protection back.

Elliott is still a baby by NFL standards, as he won't turn 21 until July 22.

NEGATIVES

Elliott famously criticized the Ohio State offense after he only received 12 runs (for 33 yards) in the team's only loss of the year against Michigan State. Elliott questioning his coach publicly is more damning than the fact he was right.

On the field, there are few complaints. NFL coaches will want to work with Elliott on expanding his route knowledge as Ohio State runs a simplified tree. There should be some question over whether Elliott's workload over the last two seasons has worn him down, but he's never showed signs of slowing or having to deal with injuries.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 5'11 6/8"

Weight: 225 lbs.

40 Time: 4.47s

3-Cone: N/A

Short Shuttle: N/A

PRO COMPARISON: Marshall Faulk, retired
FINAL GRADE: 7.20/9.00 (Round 1—Rookie Starter)