Zeke was drafted most likely as a top 5 pick in 2020 drafts. I may be going out on a limb by saying this but if you drafted him you were livid with the results. I don’t want to call him the most disappointing or worst first round pick last season because he wasn’t, but I think it’s fair to state he was the most frustrating. Several factors played into this abysmal season.
When Dak Prescott went down with his gruesome injury, so did the Cowboys offense. Dalton stepped in and was a shade of what Dak brings to the table. Cowboys offensive woes were clear as day which resulted in playing from behind too often. Zeke saw 20 carries only ONCE after Daks injury. Granted there were several reasons for that but we have no been accustomed to this either. The injuries continued to the offensive line of the ball for Dallas which resulted in a career worse 4 YPG.
There were some positives that are not talked about. He was targeted in the passing game on average 5 times per game, ranking in the top 5 for his position. He caught 50+ catches for the 3rd consecutive season in a row, something which was heavily talked about as a con earlier in his career.
His offensive line was ranked in the bottom 5 last season but he still managed to create yards out of nothing. Zeke ranked in the top 10 last year in yards created and in evaded tackles. You can say he sucked or his declining but that man was giving it his all last season despite poor play around him. Also don’t forget he was the RB3 before Dak was lost for the season.
It seems to me several have written Zeke off as a first rounder but I am not one of them. With Dak healthy and under center I am projecting another top tier season from the RB. Let’s not forget we are expecting Zach Martin, Tyron Smith and La’el Collins all back and healthy as well. Zeke was asked to pass block more then any other back in the NFL and that number will decline drastically with his big men back.
Zeke is only 25 people and has so much more left in the tank. The decline is not here yet and Zeke feels he has a chip on his shoulder after the mess in Jerry world last year. I won’t put Elliot in the top tier with CMC, Cook etc. but he is great enough to lead your fantasy squad as your #1 back. Pray that the discount is available in your leagues.