The Landry Hat
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Was Ezekiel Elliott’s rookie season the all-time best?

By Tyrone Starr

Dec 18, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) leaps over Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Bradley McDougald (30) and safety Keith Tandy (37) in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) leaps over Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Bradley McDougald (30) and safety Keith Tandy (37) in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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After one of the most exciting rookie campaigns ever, could Ezekiel Elliott’s 2016 season have been the best for a running back in league history?

The 2016 NFL regular season gave the Dallas Cowboys and their fans a lot of hope for the future. Two rookies, quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, were both responsible for electrifying performances.

While Prescott earned the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, however, it’s possible Elliott earned something more lofty.

Without question, Elliott’s rookie season was the best for a running back in franchise history.  That’s saying a lot when you get into some of the names who have toted the rock with a Star on their helmet.  We’ll get into that in a moment, though.

More impressively, it’s fair to argue that it may have been the best rookie season any NFL running back has ever had.

That seems like hyperbole when first considering all the great running backs who ever played the game.  When you consider not only the numbers, but the impact Elliott had on this team, you realize it’s not an overstatement.

Let’s start, first, with the franchise records.

I would say that the Dallas Cowboys have unquestionably featured the best collection of talent ever at the running back position.  Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, Herschel Walker and Calvin Hill all played the majority of their careers in Big D.  None of them, however, put up a rookie season like Ezekiel Elliott.

In Smith’s rookie campaign, he rushed 937 and 11 touchdowns.  The Cowboys improved by six wins with Emmitt as the main rusher.  Dorsett had a slightly better season, rushing for 1,007 yards and 12 touchdowns.  His impact was less visible though as Dallas won 11 games the year prior.  As a rookie, Dorsett did win a Super Bowl though, something none of the others did.

Walker undoubtedly played on the worst team of any of the four.  His numbers reflect the talent he was surrounded with as well.  His rookie season featured just 737 yards on the ground but Herschel was a dual threat.  He posted another 837 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns.  Somehow, the Cowboys were actually three games worse with Walker than the previous season though.

Lastly, Hill posted 942 yards and 8 touchdowns during his rookie season.  He was fortunate to come in to a great situation as well as the previous Cowboys squad won 12 games.

Zeke?  The impact is a little unfair as Dallas only won four games the previous year, largely due to a season without Tony Romo at quarterback.  Still, nine games worth of improvement is impressive.  As for the numbers, 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns blows away any of these others first seasons.  He also added 363 yards and another touchdown receiving.

To own the best rookie season ever for a Dallas Cowboy is eye-opening.  To own it in the history of the entire NFL is special.

More from The Landry Hat

Previously, here are a few of the best overall rookie campaigns for running backs throughout league history.

In 2002, Clinton Portis gave the Broncos 1,508 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.   He added another 364 yards and two touchdowns receiving.  Those numbers did not give Denver much improvement over the previous year though.  One extra win does not translate into much of an impact.

Three years previously, Edgerrin James of the Indianapolis Colts put up phenomenal numbers.  1,553 yards and 13 touchdowns rushing, along with 62 catches, 586 yards and four touchdowns receiving is astonishing.  His team also improved by ten whole games.  One has to wonder how much of that had to due with the maturation of quarterback Peyton Manning however.

Prior to any of that and maybe still, the top of the list almost certainly would feature Eric Dickerson.  As a rookie for the Los Angeles Rams, Dickerson blew up on the scene.  1,808 yards rushing with 18 touchdowns on the ground would be enough.  Adding another 51 catches, 404 yards and two touchdowns receiving is exceptional.

The impact on his team is hard to quantify however.  The previous season was short due to a league strike.  The 1982 Rams only won two games but they only played nine as well.  Clearly they weren’t good but who knows what their total would have been.  Still, seven games is pretty

impressive.  Making the playoffs was also pretty huge for the team.

If there is any issue with putting Dickerson’s year over Elliott’s, it comes with the attempts.  Dickerson ran 390 times in 1983.  Elliott ran 322 times last year.  If you take Elliott’s 5.1 yards per carry and give him the same 390 carries, he would have been just 22 yards shy of 2,000.  The nine game improvement is more impressive in my eyes as well.

Next: Who are the Dallas Cowboys best fifty-three?

Ultimately, it’s all fun to argue.  Regardless, Elliott is probably the best bet to be the next 2,000 yard rusher in the league.

Undeniably, the era of Ezekiel will be a thrill ride for Cowboys fans for the next decade.

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