“Want to go play behind that great offensive line” - When Ezekiel Elliott expressed desire to play for Cowboys before 2016 Draft

The NFL draft is around the corner, and teams are preparing to bolster their roster with young talent. While some teams appear settled, the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a running back after letting go of Ezekiel Elliott at the end of the last season.

It was Elliott’s second run with the Cowboys. His first run started just as he had desired, in 2016. During an interview with NFL.com in February 2016, he expressed his interest in playing for the Cowboys.

“The Dallas Cowboys (are my pick). I want to go play behind that great offensive line they have down in Dallas.”

The Cowboys were coming off a 4-12 season in 2015 and held the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft.

They were expected to target a running back, having failed to replace the production of DeMarco Murray, who had departed two years prior.

Elliott was the top running back in the draft after two successful seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He registered back-to-back 1,800-yard seasons and finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2015.

He was eventually selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the fourth pick, becoming the first running back off the board. He had two stints with the team (2016-2022, 2024) and made three Pro Bowls.

Ezekiel Elliott initially wanted to be drafted by Chicago

Earlier that same day in 2016, Elliott told Yahoo that he was keen on reuniting with his former coach Stan Drayton in Chicago.

Drayton was the Buckeyes running backs coach from 2012-14 and guided Elliott in his sophomore year. He took up the same role with the Bears in 2015.

"Drayton is up at the Chicago Bears right now, so that would be a dream situation for me," Elliott said. "He’s kind of the one that got me acclimated to the college game. … I know if I went up there he’d push me to the limits I need to be and I’d accomplish everything I want to in my NFL career."