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Barry Sanders: Ezekiel Elliott in conversation as NFL’s Best Running Back

By Steven Mullenax

Oct 29, 2015; Chandler's Cross, United Kingdom; Detroit Lions former running back Barry Sanders speaks during USA Football Heads Up Football Clinic at the Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2015; Chandler's Cross, United Kingdom; Detroit Lions former running back Barry Sanders speaks during USA Football Heads Up Football Clinic at the Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders says Dallas Cowboys rookie runner Ezekiel Elliott deserves to be in the conversation as the best back in the NFL.

As a top five pick in the NFL Draft, this young 21-year old running back posted over a thousand yards during his rookie season while averaging over five yards a carry. He also posted a double-digit touchdown total and was elected to the Pro Bowl.

You may be thinking I’m talking about Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. But in fact, the above also describes the rookie campaign of Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.

Sanders was taken with the third overall selection in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Elliott was selected fourth overall by the Cowboys last year.

Sanders rushed for 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns on 280 carries averaging 5.3 yards per attempt during his rookie season. Elliott ran for 1,631 yards and 15 scores averaging 5.1 yards per carry off a league-high 322 attempts.

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Elliott’s addition brought immediate success to Dallas, as the team went 13-3 last season and earned a first week bye in the playoffs. The Lions went 7-9 during Sanders’ first year. But Detroit didn’t have near the talent surrounding Barry as Zeke has with the Cowboys.

Ironically, the now 48-year old Sanders was asked recently whom he thought was the best running back in the NFL right now. And it was Elliott’s name that the legendary runner mentioned first.

"“Well, you’d have to say [Ezekiel] Elliott certainly put his stamp on the game,” Sanders responded while on ESPN’s First Take recently. “I don’t think having a great offensive line takes away from his greatness. Being a rookie, you see what he did when he had the ball in his hands. Even aside from having a great line, the yards after contact. You see him breaking long runs. He’s not getting caught by defenders. And so, he really put his stamp on the game. The best? He certainly deserves to be in that conversation.”"

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By the numbers, Elliott is the best running back in the NFL today. His total of 1,631 rushing yards was over 300 more yards than his next closest competitor, Chicago Bears rookie runner Jordan Howard (1,313). Behind arguably the top offensive line in the league, and aided by a consistent passing game led by fellow rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, Zeke figures to be in the best running back conversation for the foreseeable future.

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