NFL Rumors: Philadelphia Eagles Drafting Ezekiel Elliott

NFL rumors are swirling around Ezekiel Elliott. According to draft experts, he is the best running back coming out of college. Even though coaches and general managers in the National Football League no longer value the position as much as they used to, Elliott is drawing a considerable amount of attention. According to the NFL website, the Philadelphia Eagles have shown the most interest in the 20-year-old Missouri native. The 6’0″, 225-pound running back could be wearing a green uniform this fall.

DeMarco Murray was supposed to be the featured running back for the Philadelphia Eagles. That was the plan hatched by former head coach Chip Kelly, now with the San Francisco 49ers. He signed him to a huge deal in free agency by luring him away from a very comfortable position with the Dallas Cowboys, a team with arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. Earlier this year, Murray was jettisoned to the Tennessee Titans in a trade.

Ryan Mathews has some uncertainty when it comes to his status with the Philadelphia Eagles. The former San Diego Chargers star surprisingly signed with the Eagles after they handed a huge deal to DeMarco Murray. Through the eyes of many, Mathews was much more effective of a running back than Murray was. However, management in Philadelphia isn’t exactly sold on the California native. He’s reportedly on the trading block right now.

The Philadelphia Eagles have a new head coach in Doug Pederson. He was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs under Andy Reid. Knowing that his quarterback position is unsteady, Pederson is already aware that he will need to rely on the running game pretty heavily. That is why it is a priority for the Eagles to find a quality running back, perhaps one that can be a workhorse. The feeling around the NFL is that Ezekiel Elliott can be a workhorse.

Versatility is what makes Ezekiel Elliott so appealing to a lot of NFL teams. Not only can he pound the ball through the middle of the offensive line, but he can also be just as effective running outside the tackles. Elliott can also pass block, which will be quite useful because the Philadelphia Eagles are concerned about the health of Sam Bradford. As an added value, Ezekiel can also bounce out of the backfield and be an additional receiver for the quarterback.

There’s going to be some competition for the Philadelphia Eagles when it comes to drafting Ezekiel Elliott. It’s also going to be coming from the NFC East division. The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly quite interested in the idea of drafting Elliott with the fourth overall selection in the upcoming NFL Draft. To many draft experts, that would be quite high for a running back, but Elliott is said to be one of those guys that can make teams bend the rules.

Though Ezekiel Elliott sounds quite enthusiastic about playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, his best bet in the NFL might be with the Dallas Cowboys. DeMarco Murray was able to break a record held by the legendary Emmitt Smith because of the dominant offensive line. Elliott might be able to challenge that record because he would be running behind Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick. The unit becomes even more dominating if La’el Collins improves significantly over the summer.

While it’s true that a lot of NFL teams no longer view running backs as viable options in the first round of the draft, the position can still make an impact. Todd Gurley made the Los Angeles Rams look brilliant last season by becoming what appears to be a future dominant runner. Ezekiel Elliott has the same opportunity this season.