“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 fans are eagerly waiting to witness a new crop of talent on the roster. 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 his dream team, 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. He said:

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

The Cowboys were far from being the best team in their conference during the 2010s after having a mixed performance in the prior seasons.

After being 12-4 in 2014, they recorded the polar opposite, a 4-12 record in 2015, while heading to the 2016 draft. Apart from that, Elliott had a specific reason to prefer the Cowboys as his dream team, as he explained:

“My running back coach from my sophomore year, Stan Drayton, is up at the Chicago Bears right now, so that would be a dream situation for me. 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.”

Ezekiel Elliott finds a new home in the LA Chargers after his release

Elliott’s performance at the 2016 NFL Combine in Lucas Oil Stadium was remarkable. He received a prospect grade of 7.30 (perennial all-pro), a production score of 90 and a second rank among RBs.

Hence, he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round and played for them from 2016 to 2022.

However, he was released and later joined the New England Patriots for a single season before returning to the Cowboys last season. As per the recent reports, he will be joining the Chargers under Jim Harbaugh. He signed with the Chargers' practice squad on Jan. 6 this year.