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Ezekiel Elliott, RB Ohio State: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report

By Shawn Spencer

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Next: Michael Thomas, WR Ohio State Scouting Report

Player Summary

2013 four-star recruit has started 26 of 38 career games played. He has been the workhorse in the Ohio State backfield each of the past two seasons. Solid height and weight with a compact frame and good athletic ability. Displays a solid combination of agility and explosiveness.

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Player Information

Class: Junior

Height: 5’11

Weight: 225

Estimated 40-Yard Dash Time: high 4.4s

Scheme Fit

An inside zone/gap scheme in which he can allow the play to develop, make one cut behind the line of scrimmage and burst through the hole between the tackles.

Games Watched

2014: Alabama

2015: Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State

These games represent the four toughest run defenses Elliott faced this season in addition to an Alabama team that excelled against the run in 2014.

Strengths

After taking the handoff, Elliott displays good patience by allowing the play to develop and giving his blockers time to engage. Once the blocks are set, he utilizes very good vision to find the hole.

Here’s an example of how Elliott’s patience pays off in Ohio State’s zone blocking scheme:

Once he finds the running lane, Elliott showcases his athletic ability and burst by making one cut and exploding through the hole to the second and third levels of the defense. His play strength and low pad level allow him to push forward and maximize yardage after contact. Solid ball security, as he lost just one fumble (and that was the result of a poor exchange between the QB and RB) this season as a RB despite the large workload.

He possesses elite competitive toughness, stepping up in critical situations when the Buckeyes needed him the most. Last season’s playoff run is the perfect, but far from only, example of this. On third or fourth and short (less than three yards to go), he’s averaging an impressive 7.5 yards per carry in 2015. Not only does he finish runs strong, but he finishes games strong. He wears down opposing defenses as the game wears on and finishes them off late; allowing Ohio State to control the ball.

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Areas for Improvement

Elliott doesn’t have any major “weaknesses” but there are a few aspects of his game that could be improved. The scheme the Buckeyes use is designed to gain four or five yards per carry and keep the chains moving. There were multiple instances throughout the year in which Elliott overestimated his speed to the edge and went for the home run.

The clip below is an example of this. After feeling initial pressure in the backfield, he tries to bounce the play outside and ends up losing yardage. Rather than improvising, he needs to stay the course and run through the hole between the guards. A cutback to the left, between the center and right guard, would have resulted in a much bigger gain.

Elliott possesses an adequate ability to break tackles, going down too easy for a runner his size. Solid hands as a receiver and adjusts to ball well, but is slow to gather himself and get up-field. Blocking needs to improve if he’s going to stay on the field on third down in the NFL. He goes for the highlight reel knockout rather than setting an anchor and squaring up the defender.

Overall

Overall, Ezekiel Elliott is a starting running back at the next level who can carry the ball 20-25 times per game. He is the most talented RB in the 2016 NFL Draft class and should be selected in the mid to late-first round by a team utilizing a zone blocking scheme.

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