Eagles' Malcolm Jenkins Says Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott Is NFL's Best Contact RB

Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott may not be the fastest running back in the NFL, but his physical style of play has allowed him to lead the league in rushing in two of his first three seasons.

In fact, Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins believes his NFC East rival is the top physical runner in football. In a July 19 appearance on NFL Game Pass' Film Sessions (h/t Eagles Wire's Glenn Erby), Jenkins said:

"I'd say Ezekiel Elliott is probably the No. 1 contact back in the league right now. He's looking to punish guys. He's not trying to juke you. He'll jump over you every now and then if you keep trying to go low, but he's fine with just punishing the defender at the end of it."

Considering the three-time Pro Bowler has to go up against Elliott twice a year in the division, his opinion is as good as anyone's. Then again, Jenkins may be a little biased since Elliott carried Ohio State to a national championship in 2014. Both Jenkins and Elliott are former Buckeyes.

The numbers don't lie, though. Elliott has led the league in yards per game in each of his first three seasons (101.2 yards per game for his career). The 6'0", 228-pound back also has averaged 4.7 yards per carry, with few better after contact:

Per NFL.com's Michael Fabiano, Elliott finished last season tied for fifth in rushing yards after contact (595), tied for 10th in receiving yards after contact (123) and tied for 11th in broken tackles (22) among running backs. A whopping 58.5 percent of his rushing yards came after contact.

That production has helped the Cowboys reach the postseason in two of the past three seasons. And now, Elliott is looking to cash in on his efforts by way of an extension.