There’s no lack of confidence in Ezekiel Elliot’s game. The Dallas Cowboys’ rookie first-round pick seems to ooze self confidence, both on the field and when talking about his game.
Just ask Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson.
“He told me through his agent that he was going to break my record,” Dickerson said, via ESPN.com. “I just laughed and said, ‘Good luck.’ Many have said that; all have failed.”
Dickerson put up a NFL rookie record 1,808 yards as a member of the Los Angeles Rams back in 1983. He followed that up by posting over 2,100 yards as a sophomore the following season.
Not that Elliott is comparing himself to Dickerson. Instead, the Ohio State product simply thinks he has what it takes to best the Hall of Famer’s rookie season in 2016.
On the surface, Elliott shouldn’t be laughed off the stage here.
He’s among the most-talented running back prospects to enter the NFL in generations. Right up there with the likes of Adrian Peterson and Todd Gurley.
Elliott is also running behind an offensive line in Dallas that’s the best in the league. It’s an offensive line that helped a previously injury-prone and pedestrian Darren McFadden put up over 1,400 total yards last season.
That came on the heels of DeMarco Murray earning the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award running behind the same line in 2014.
Despite Dickerson laughing off Elliott’s prediction, it really wouldn’t be a surprise to see the running back challenge for the 2,000-yard plateau as a rookie.