Where will Ezekiel Elliott end up after the NFL Draft?

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott will be selected in this year’s NFL Draft after the 20-year-old declared himself available for selection back in December. The running back, who decided to skip his senior year, has been linked with a move to various NFL franchises, including the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles. Where will Elliott end up? We take a look at a few potential landing spots and consider how he could help these sides go on and enjoy successful campaigns in 2016.

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Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are all about their running game and Elliott would be a great addition to an already stacked backfield. In free agency, Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett moved for Alfred Morris from NFC East rivals Washington Redskins in what could be one of the best inter-division moves of the offseason. For years, Morris has run riot against the Cowboys defense but now Washington will have to cope with his aggressive, north-south running style.
In addition, the Cowboys have former Oakland Raider Darren McFadden, who started most of the season as Dallas’ number one running back. McFadden may have the slight edge on Morris now, mainly because he knows the play calls and system but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the Cowboys move to a running back-by-committee throughout the season – especially if they move for Elliott in the later rounds of the draft.
Elliott has potential to become an elite, three-down back in the NFL and with both Morris and McFadden reaching the latter stages of their respective careers, it might be a good move for everyone concerned. The Cowboys finished bottom of the division in 2015 after Tony Romo suffered two long-term injuries but Elliott could be the man to help Dallas, who are priced at 25/1 with 32Red Canada as of 14th April, reach the Super Bowl if everyone stays fit next season.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts need a running back like Elliott. General Manager Ryan Grigson has got it majorly wrong at the top of the NFL Draft in recent years – the trade for Trent Richardson and last year’s selection of Phillip Dorsett springs to mind – but he has been fairly successful in the lower rounds. And with Elliott expected to go in the mid-to-late rounds, the Colts could snatch an excellent running back to assist the ageing Frank Gore out of the backfield.
With Andrew Luck back from injury, Indy will be expecting a much improved campaign this season. Last year, they lost the AFC South to the Houston Texans but Indianapolis will be chomping at the bit to get their revenge after an injury-hit year. The Colts are much better than their 8-8 record in 2015 suggests and Elliott is the type of player who could lead Indy back to the Super Bowl for the first time since losing to the New Orleans Saints in 2010.
Indianapolis is the perfect fit – providing Elliott sharpens up his pass blocking skills. The Colts are a pass-heavy side and Luck needs protection from all angles. Offensively, Indy have the tools to mature into one of the top franchises in the NFL and Elliott could be the final piece in the jigsaw to transform the Colts from peripheral underachievers to Super Bowl champions.
Philadelphia Eagles
It’s all change at Philadelphia this season. Chip Kelly is out the door and so is DeMarco Murray. That particular experiment didn’t really work and while the Eagles still have Darren Sproles, they are lacking power in the backfield. Step forward, Ezekiel Elliott. This is perhaps the greatest fit of the three and, with Philly looking desperately towards the lower end of the draft for a potential future star, Elliott may be the newest member of the Eagles.
The Eagles were one of the league’s most disappointing franchises in 2015 but they have the talent and a potentially great head coach to bounce back. Doug Pederson was an impressive offensive co-ordinator whilst with the Kansas City Chiefs and the new Philly head coach may follow suit and lean on an intense, aggressive running game as the platform for success. If he does, surely they will move for a strong back like Elliott? It just makes sense.
32Red and Winner are pricing Philadelphia at 40/1 to win the Super Bowl this season and Pederson’s new-look side could surprise a few people throughout the campaign. While it might be a tad far-fetched to suggest they will win the showpiece event, they’ll certainly be a more rounded, organised side this year and Elliott could be the focal point of their offense if Pederson maintains his rush-heavy approach.