There are always plenty of “what ifs” for franchises in the NFL, and the Dallas Cowboys are certainly no different.
One of those hypothetical scenarios that is often discussed online is what the Cowboys would have done if they had not selected running back Ezekiel Elliott at the No. 4 spot in the 2016 NFL draft.
Dallas and owner Jerry Jones surprised the NFL world with the selection at the time, but it pretty much immediately paid off with an All-Pro season in 2016 and three total Pro Bowl selections.
However, Los Angeles Rams star Jalen Ramsey is now saying Dallas told him he was going to be the pick that year. Speaking on The Pivot podcast, Ramsey explained that he was told directly by the Cowboys that he was their planned selection during a face-to-face meeting.
“I wanted to be the first defensive player off the board,” Ramsey said. “But if it didn’t happen … I always grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan. So if I went to them fourth, that’s a dream come true. When I was on my visit to Dallas they told me straight up to my face that if I was there at No. 4 they were taking me. I thought I was going four for sure.”
Due to his time at Florida State and his unique athletic profile, Ramsey was often compared to former Cowboys star Deion Sanders. However, it was not to be as Dallas took Elliott instead and Ramsey went to the Jaguars at the No. 5 slot.
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Rams CB and Cowboys RB Live Up to Hype
It’s a slippery slope to compare two players that play completely different positions, especially considering Elliott’s success as a running back taken in the top 5 of the NFL draft. In the modern day, RBs are rarely taken that high and even when they are, they’re not always locks. Ask the New York Giants about Saquon Barkley.
But two rushing titles later, Elliott looked like a genius selection. Even though his production has slowed in the past two years, Zeke is still a player who averaged 4.1 yards per carry over that span with 1981 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns over 32 games.
However, Ramsey has seemingly gotten better as time has gone on. After an impressive rookie year in 2016, the 27-year-old helped lead the Jaguars to an AFC Championship appearance in 2017, with a first-team All-Pro nod as proof of his quality.
His move to the Rams only brought in more hardware. In his split season in 2019, he was a Pro Bowler, while his 2020 and 2021 seasons saw him reach his second and third All-Pro selections, as Pro Football Reference shows.
Cowboys and Rams Star Will Get to See Each Other Soon
While the exact weeks and schedule of the 2022 NFL season have yet to be announced, the Cowboys and Rams do know they’ll face each other at some point in the year. As the NFC East and West division winners, Dallas and Los Angeles will clash as a “reward” for their titles.
According to FBSschedules.com, the Rams will be hosting the Cowboys at SoFi Stadium. What’s especially interesting about the game being in LA is that the NFL typically has the defending Super Bowl champions kick off the season with a big home game, and there may not be a better fit for that than Dallas.
No matter when the game is played, it will mark the first time the two teams have faced each other since September 13 of 2020. That was Week 1 of the 2020 season, and the Rams defeated the Cowboys 20-17.
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Jalen Ramsey Calls Out Cowboys Over False Claim in 2016 NFL Draft