Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys parted ways this offseason, seven seasons after Dallas selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
On Monday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones discussed the league’s devaluation of the running back position in recent seasons, before making a stunning admission about the organization’s decision to pick Elliott in the draft.
Jones admitted that the Cowboys reached a bit too early when selecting Elliott in 2016, via Clarence Hill Jr. of Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“Zeke was [picked] too high for us,” Jones said.
Elliott was due to carry a $16.7 million cap hit for the Cowboys in 2023, who ultimately saved as much as $10.9 million by releasing him in the offseason.
Jerry Jones on the declining value of drafting a running back in the first round since they took Ezekiel Elliott 4th overall in 2016: "Zeke was (picked) too high for us"#DallasCowboys
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) April 24, 2023
Elliott played seven seasons with the organization, featuring in 103 games and scoring 72 total touchdowns.
In the years following Dallas’ decision to spend the No. 4 overall pick on Elliott, only two teams have picked running backs as early, or earlier. Leonard Fournette went No. 4 to the Buccaneers in 2017 and Saquon Barkley was the No. 2 pick in ’18 by the Giants. Since then, no running back has been selected before the No. 24 pick.
Elliott remains unsigned ahead of the 2023 NFL season, though some notable members of the Cowboys are still hoping a reunion in Dallas is possible down the line.
