Ezekiel Elliott and the 5 Greatest Rookie Seasons Ever
With Dallas Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott running wild all over the NFL, we look at how he stacks up against the 5 greatest rookie seasons ever
After seven weeks it’s become pretty clear, Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott is pretty darn good. The fourth-overall pick out of Ohio State has rushed for 703 yards and five touchdowns through six games.
His incredible pace of 117.16 yards per contest would equal 1,875 yards. He is also on pace for 13 touchdowns on the ground, which would make what he is doing one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history.
Obviously, there’s still a lot of football left to be played and of course Zeke could hit the perverbial rookie wall and slow down. Although, that doesn’t seem likeley as he has only looked better in each and every game since his slow start in Week 1 against the New york Giants.
Of course, even if Elliott does keep his pace up it won’t guarantee that he put together the greatest rookie season ever. Here are five players who put together amazing seasons during their first year that Zeke would be trying to surpass for that honor.
Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) in a preseason NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
5. Robert Griffin III, QB — Washington Redskins
No. 5 is quarterback Robert Griffin III, even though his name doesn’t scream top five for anything except “bust” anymore. The reason for that is simple; RG3 has turned into one of the least productive players in the NFL and can’t even stay on the field thanks to injuries.
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That doesn’t take away from the magical run he had as a rookie in 2012 with the Washington Redskins. Washington traded a plethora of picks to grab the Heisman Trophy quarterback out of Baylor and in year one, he looked like he was worth the price they paid and then some.
RG3 led the Redskins to a 9-6 record in his 15 starts. He was a true dual-threat who completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 3,200 yards. He was also incredibly efficient as he threw 20 touchdowns to just five interceptions.
Helping to make him so exciting was the running element he added to his passing game. Griffin rushed for 815 yards and another seven scores on the ground. Washington used him and fellow rookie running back Alfred Morris in a zone read scheme that was taking the league by storm.
He was a beast up until a knee injury slowed him down in the playoffs and he simply hasn’t been the same ever since. That’s too bad, because he was exciting as a rookie.
Sep 25, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A view of a Denver Broncos helmet on the sidelines at Paul Brown Stadium. The Broncos won 29-17. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
4. Clinton Portis, RB — Denver Broncos
This guy had something in common with RG3 as they had the same head coach as rookies. Running back Clinton Portis joined Mike Shanahan’s Denver Broncos in 2002 out of Miami.
He came to Denver as a second round pick during a time that Shanahan’s team was famous for their running game that featured one great runner after another. What happened when they turned the reins of that run game over to the talented Portis was nothing short of amazing.
Portis played in all 16 games, but only started 12 of those contests. He still rushed the ball 273 times for 1,508 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He added another two scores receiving as he caught 33 passes for another 362 yards. Portis was traded away after two seasons to Washington for star cornerback Champ Bailey as Shanahan probably thought he could just keep plugging anyone in.
They were still good after trading Portis and Bailey was a star in Denver for years. The running game still just never was as explosive, though, as it was the two seasons Portis was running wild.
Oct 29, 2015; Chandler
3. Barry Sanders, RB — Detroit Lions
Like Ezekiel Elliott, Barry Sanders was an early selection at running back. In 1989 the Detroit Lions took the electrifying Sanders third overall out of Oklahoma State. He quickly proved to be one of the most exciting players the NFL would ever see.
Detroit was a bad team. Even with all those poor players around him, Sanders was amazing. He averaged 98 yards per game (and 5.3 per rush) as a rookie. He finished with 1,470 yards on the ground and another 282 through the air. Sanders also crossed the goal line for an impressive 14 touchdowns on the season.
The great Barry followed his rookie season up with great one great season after another as proof that he was no fluke. Sadly, the team around him never got better and Sanders retired in 1998, despite still being at his best. He never rushed for fewer than 1,115 yards in a season (and that happend during a year he missed five games).
We will likely never see another running back as dynamic as Sanders was.
Aug 30, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; NFL former wide receiver Randy Moss before the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Houston Texans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
2. Randy Moss, WR — Minnesota Vikings
What a season 1998 was for the Minnesota Vikings. They were able to give quarterback Randall Cunningham a second life in the NFL. They also had one of the best receivers in the NFL in Chris Carter. Couldn’t get any better, right?
Well, it could if you draft Randy Moss in the first round to play receiver opposite Carter. Minnesota did exactly that and it took no time at all for Moss to assert himeslf.
The enigmatic rookie went off for 1,313 yards and a rookie record of 17 touchdown recpetions. He was more than just a deep threat though as the 6-5 wideout halued in 69 passes and was huge for the Vikings.
His play helped open up one of the most exciting offenses of all-time. Minnesota went 15-1 that season and will always be known as one of the better teams to not win it all in a given season. That doesn’t make what Moss did in his inagural year any less impressive, though. Even better, it was just a prelude to his phenomenal career.
Sep 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Joe Rincon of Santa Fe Springs, CA. gets a photo with NFL former player Eric Dickerson before the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
1. Eric Dickerson, RB — Los Angeles Rams
Should Ezekiel Elliott continue his streak he could be trying to chase Eric Dickerson in two different categories. The former Los Angeles Rams (and later Indianapolis Colts) running back has not just the most rushing yardage in a single season, but also the most rushing attempts (390 rushes) and yards (1,808) as a rookie.
He added 18 rushing touchdowns to his remarkable yardage total and even had 404 yards rushing and two more touchdowns through the air. Dickerson set the rushing record his second season in the league and even surpassed the 1,800 yard mark again for Los Angeles in 1986.
Dickerson was one of the most exciting runners and is still arguably the most famous Los Angeles Ram of all-time. The team selected him second overall in 1983 out of SMU and was in no way dissatisfied with the results.
These are all some mighty big shoes for Ezekiel Elliot to try and fill. One thing is for sure, it seems like the Cowboys will keep feeding him the rock and giving him a chance to one day see his name mentioned as one of the greatest rookies ever.