Zach Evans has question marks, but could fill Ezekiel Elliott’s role for Cowboys
Dallas might have needed to part ways with Ezekiel Elliott for financial reasons, but the former first-round pick was still an integral part of their offensive attack in 2022. He put up over 800 yards and 12 touchdowns on over 200 carries as the best short yardage running back in the league.
No other Cowboys player had over 200 rushes or double-digit touchdowns. Elliott also led the league in short yardage conversions, at 93% on third and fourth down with one yard to go. That production will need to be replaced in 2023, and Ole Miss running back Zach Evans appears to fit the bill.
The team has consistently said Tony Pollard is at his best when he has limited attempts in a shared backfield. Here’s a look at a top candidate and 30 visitor who could fit the bill.
Measurables and Stats
Listed Height: 5-foot-11
Listed Weight: 202 pounds
Games Played in 2022: 12
Jersey Number: 6
Impact Plays (2022): 9 rushing touchdowns, 1 receiving touchdown, 6.5 yards per carry
Stat (20212): 144 attempts, 936 rush yards, 12 receptions, 119 yards
40-yard dash: 4.52 seconds
Vertical Jump: 33.5″
Broad Jump: 12’1″
Shuttle: 4.26
3-Cone Drill: 7.08 seconds
Relative Athletic Score: Comparison vs Ezekiel Elliott
Film Study Information
Games Watched: West Virginia (2021), Georgia Tech (2022) Auburn (2022), Arkansas (2022)
Best Game: Auburn (2022)
Worst Game: West Virginia (2021)
Strengths
Evans can rush the ball in any way a play caller sees fit. Whether it’s sweeps or tosses, traditional inside runs, or inside zones from the shotgun formation, Evans can be impactful. This keeps defenses from keying in on specific types of runs due to who is in the backfield.
He isn’t the fastest runner, but his mix of speed, vision, and decisiveness allows him to consistently beat defenders to their angles to get around the edge on wide runs. This gives him an ability to get in one-on-one situations on the outside where one missed tackle could lead to a breakaway run. This helped him average over seven yards per attempt in his time at TCU and Ole Miss.
While Evans has quality outside rushes, he actually tries to run through people more. He is creative as an interior runner, he knows how to get positive yards on seemingly broken plays and like Elliott, almost always ends runs going forward.
This mix of vision, power, and efficiency is perfect for handoffs out of the shotgun where a back can see the defense clearly but needs to be a quick decision maker that can get through the hole and break arm tackles to get positive plays.
Weaknesses
Does Evans have major character concerns? He missed a game early in his senior season for disciplinary reasons before he was dismissed from North Shore outright just before their championship game for not giving up his cell phone. Then during recruiting he was looking at top schools like Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, and Georgia. He was intending to sign with Georgia, before UGA released him from his letter of intent.
After a few more meeting with universities like Tennesse, Ole Miss, and Florida, Evans decided on TCU. After two seasons there, he left, complaining he was underutilized and wanted better competition before ending up in Ole Miss. Many of Evans teammates and coaches have said they loved having him on their teams, but that type of history has to be looked into before a team decides to bring him into their locker room.
On the field, Evans top issue is that he doesn’t add much other than taking handoffs. He isn’t a very good separator as a route runner and when he did make a reception, his yards after catch were nearly non-existent. Add to that, he has a 12% drop rate, and the team that drafts him will need to work on his receiving game.
He isn’t Elliott as a pass blocker, either. He has the size and strength to take on blocks but just doesn’t see it and execute it well enough. How impactful Evans ends up being as an NFL running back, could depend on how well he does things other than running with the ball.
Fit with the Cowboys
The Cowboys offensive line has excellent run blocking offensive tackles, and very mobile interior offensive linemen. Those should work really well with Evans ability as a wide rusher on sweeps, tosses, and off-tackle attempts.
He had under 300 total attempts between TCU and Ole Miss, so he doesn’t have much wear and tear. He could be the guy who complements Pollard by taking on the bell cow back role. The tougher carries, like short yardage or goal line and he can take any type of rushes as well, allowing the team to call the same play types that Pollard might typically get.
As mentioned earlier, he definitely fits the role vacated by the cutting of Elliott, but might be able to bring more to the table than Elliott could at this point of his career.
