Mel Kiper: Ezekiel Elliott Cowboys new Emmitt Smith?

Longtime NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes the Dallas Cowboys are a likely landing spot for Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott.

With the NFL Draft just over a week away now, the hype and speculation surrounding the Dallas Cowboys fourth overall selection is at full tilt. And the fact the L.A. Rams have recently traded up to the number one pick has only heightened the suspense.

The Rams and the Cleveland Browns, owners of the top two overall selections when the draft starts next Thursday, are both expected to select quarterbacks as both franchises are in desperate need for quality play from under center.

Depending upon whether or not you want the Cowboys to select a franchise quarterback of their own in the first round to eventually replace starter Tony Romo, this could be potentially great news. If the top two gunslingers are off the board when Dallas’ number is called fourth overall, then the Cowboys will likely have all of the top defensive players to choose from.

But let’s not forget, this draft is considered to be defensive heavy. That means, there should be plenty of impactful defenders to be had later on in this draft, especially along the defensive line.  With that being said, grabbing offensive players in the top rounds could be a sound strategy.

But the one area where that my not be true is at running back. Although everyone’s clear choice for the top running back in this class is Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, there are still plenty of talented runners who should be available very deep within this draft. Players like Alabama’s Derrick Henry, Notre Dame’s C.J. Prosise and Louisiana Tech’s Kenneth Dixon.

Still, longtime ESPN Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes Elliott will ultimately land with the Dallas Cowboys at fourth overall, or with the Baltimore Ravens a mere two selections later.

"“[Ezekiel Elliott] can run around you. He can run over you. And most importantly…he’s a great blocker. That’s going to keep him on the field as a rookie. Doesn’t fumble. That’s why he could be in play for Dallas at four, Baltimore at six,” Kiper recently told ESPN. “If Dallas can use him as Emmitt Smith, what Emmitt was to Aikman, [Elliott] could be to Romo late in his career…I think four, Dallas – six, Baltimore is where he ends up.”"

If the Cowboys select Elliott fourth overall, it would certainly be one of the bigger surprises in the draft. Dallas should have a plethora of defensive players to choose from that early in the first round. And they could have a shot at one of the top quarterbacks as well.

So the fact the Cowboys could draft a running back, especially on the heels of the team signing Pro Bowl runner Alfred Morris in the offseason, would come as a shock. But if Kiper is right, and the Cowboys could potentially land the next Emmitt in Elliott, I’m not sure how you could pass him up.

Next: Tony Romo: Recovered and Ready to Finish the Fight

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