Cowboys Draft Ezekiel Elliott With 4th Pick!
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CHICAGO (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — The Dallas Cowboys have taken Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott with the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL draft.
It's the highest Dallas has drafted a running back since taking Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett second overall in 1977. All-time NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith went 17th to the Cowboys in 1990.
"We just felt at the end of the day Ezekiel Elliott was the type of player we wanted to bring to our football team. We feel his impact is going to be significant," said Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. "We love him as a guy, we love him as a player."
Running back wasn't the biggest need going into Thursday night's draft with Darren McFadden coming off a strong season and the Cowboys adding two-time Pro Bowler Alfred Morris from Washington in free agency.
But the Cowboys will get to put the top-rated running back in the draft behind one of the NFL's best offensive lines. Dallas took blockers in the first round three times in a span of four seasons starting in 2011.
"The funny thing is I won the National Championship (with Ohio State) at Jerry World," Elliott told ESPN moments after donning a Dallas Cowboys cap.
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