I must admit, I thought Dallas would pick Ramsey at #4 and was a tad bit surprised when Elliott's name was ultimately announced. This was partly due to the fact that I never would have imagined the FO to pick him with such a high pick. Add in the overwhelming need to add playmakers on defense, I was convinced it would be Ramsey. Although, DE was our defenses greatest need IMO.
After several days to digest the idea that Dallas actually landed the best Runningback in the Draft, and quite possibly the best player in the draft, I'm completely convinced.. They got it right.There's a precursor to this though, I'll explain..
Elliott and Ramsey play two very different positions that are both equally as important at different times of the game. However, only one of them can dictate himself on the opposing team, Elliott. I liken it to the Homerun hitting Clean-up hitter of baseball. If the batter is feared, the opposing pitcher will just walk them and/or pitch around the batter, thus the hitter never has a chance to make a real impact on the game. Likewise, IF Ramsey is a stud CB/S, the QB can neutralize his impact and avoid throwing his direction. In Contrast, Dallas has the best OL in football which increases the odds of Elliott imposing his will on opponents 20-30 touches a game. I find that more appealing and worthy of the #4 pick even more. And we haven't talked ab how this effects time of possession, defensive plays, and Romo's health.
So Lets look at Ramsey. Everybody already knows that he's a freak of nature that seemingly can make every type of play asked of him as a DB. The biggest question (or concern) was whether he was a CB or Safety. Well, I guess that's still to be determined, but his talent cant be denied. What can be questioned though, is his lack of game-changing plays. His lack of INT's is well documented against ho-hum QB competition. I've also heard "that's because they didn't throw to his side of the field". Oh yeah, he had 52 tackles w/no INTs last year. Lets look at the other 1st round CBs:Eli Apple 33-1int; Vernon Hargreaves 33-4; William Jackson 43-5; Artie Burns 36-6. Seems to me, Ramsey played against lesser Qb competition and ended up making more tackles and less impactful plays.
On the other hand, seven of Zeke's 13 games last year was against the NCAA top 40 defensive teams in America, yet his stat line looked like this: 1821 yds- 6.3 avg- 23 TDs. And Ill add he finished with 3 straight 220+ yard games to close out their National Championship run against Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon two years ago.
So after looking at the fact of the matter, Elliott is far and away the best pick for the Cowboys right now and when Romo's tenure ends. Zeke is a Champion that knows how to carry a team when the team needs him.
