Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott took a serious statistical dip in his sophomore campaign, but that was largely because he was suspended for six games. In his 10 games, Elliott rushed for 983 yards and seven touchdowns. In his rookie season, he amassed 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns.
As a result, he took quite a tumble on NFL Network's annual top-100 list. The list, which is rolling out its rankings incrementally, listed Elliott at No. 54 this year. That's pretty low, considering he clocked in at No. 7 just a year ago.
.@dallascowboys RB @EzekielElliott runs into the #54 spot on the list!#NFLTop100 pic.twitter.com/czhrmAwu2A
A low ranking clearly rattles some players, as we saw earlier this week with Chargers corner Casey Hayward, who felt he deserved to be higher on the list. Elliott, however, seems unfazed by his 47-spot drop.
"It is what it is. I missed six games," Elliott said, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. "I know the player I am. You guys know the player I am. Every player in the league knows the player I am. I don't really need verification from a Top 100 list."
Elliott served the suspension following an NFL domestic violence investigation. Elliott fully expects his ranking will be higher next year, after he—presumably—plays in at least 16 games this season.
"It should be," he said.
If anything, this will probably serve as motivation for the former Ohio State Buckeyes' running back.
