This past NFL season was the first in which Ezekiel Elliott did not play since 2015. Dak Prescott was still at Mississippi State, Dez Bryant was one year removed from the best year of his career, and new Cowboys DC Christian Parker was a DB coach at Norfolk State.
Needless to say, it was quite a long time ago, and yet that draft night debate of Zeke vs. Jalen Ramsey feels like yesterday.
Elliott is only 30 years old, but barring a pretty shocking comeback, his career is all but over in the NFL. Nine years in the league, eight in Dallas, and over 9,100 rushing yards; that’s quite the run, even if we all expected him to last longer.
As the dust settles on Elliott’s career, it will be fascinating to see how history looks back on his career, given all the highs and some notable lows.
Here, I’ll give you my ranking of the Cowboys’ all-time running back list to show where I have the former Ohio State star.
Emmitt Smith: The Undisputed Number 1, Both For Dallas & The NFL
Do I even need to say anything here?
If a Cowboys running back is ever able to even contend with Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith for the top spot in franchise history at the position, they’d be considered a top-five running back in the NFL’s history.
Smith played 13 years in Dallas, made four All-Pro teams, won three Super Bowls, was the league’s MVP in 1993, and is still the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
He is clearly the undisputed best running back in both the Cowboys’ and the NFL’s history.
Tony Dorsett: Still Number 2, Despite Ezekiel Elliott’s Chase
For a while there, it looked like Cowboys legend Tony Dorsett would get passed up on the franchise’s list by Elliott, but he still holds the second spot in 2026.
The Hall of Fame inductee is second to Smith in just about every statistical category for the organization, though he does hold the record for longest rush with that iconic 99-yard touchdown in 1983.
January 3, 1983#Cowboys stud Tony Dorsett goes 99 yards ("and a half") on Monday Night Football.
The first of two 99-yard runs in #NFL history pic.twitter.com/JRqGKoQNkH
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 3, 2026
Dorsett is ahead of Elliott by one rushing touchdown and by a few thousand yards, though he never led the league in rushing like Zeke did (twice).
Some may make the case for Elliott over Dorsett, and he certainly would’ve had a case for it in my eyes had his prime lingered, but as things stand, this isn’t much of a debate to me.
Ezekiel Elliott: Solidly Number 3, But Ceiling Was Higher
I think there should be little debate about Ezekiel Elliott’s ranking: he is clearly third as things stand today.
Clearly behind Smith, somewhat narrowly behind Dorsett, and a ways ahead of the remaining guys that I will rank below. We cannot forget just how good this dude was in his prime.
As previously mentioned, he led the league in rushing twice, was fourth in MVP voting in his rookie season, and nearly rushed for 1,000 yards in just ten games in 2017. His prime was simply unbelievable.
Yes, he ran out of steam fast, and yes, there were some controversies along the way, but Elliott carried the Cowboys’ offense for a long time, and he deserves his flowers.
Best Of The Rest: Calvin Hill 4th, DeMarco Murray 5th
I won’t spend too much past Elliott, since he’s the focus here, but I will give you my fourth and fifth place guys first.
Behind Zeke, I have Calvin Hill, who also nearly won MVP in his rookie season. In 13 games in 1969, Hill had over 1,100 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. He only played six years in Dallas before playing one year with the Hawaiians in the WFL.
Still, he is right up there in the Cowboys’ all-time rushing ranks. He won a Super Bowl in 1972, and he was a Pro Bowler in four of six seasons in Dallas.
Lastly, I have DeMarco Murray, who, despite playing just four years with the Cowboys, is seventh in franchise history in rushing yards and tied with Smith for first in yards per game, with 85.4 exactly.
Murray’s 2014 season is what carries his legacy in Dallas, and it’s enough for me to put him fifth on this list.
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Andy Dalton throws from the pocket in Cowboys uniform, representing past free agents the Cowboys spent money on at quarterback.
Andy Dalton throws from the pocket in Cowboys uniform, representing past free agents the Cowboys spent money on at quarterback.