As the top running back prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft, Ezekiel Elliott has been through his share of private workouts, pre-draft visits and all manner of evaluation from plenty of NFL clubs.
But it's the Philadelphia Eagles who seem to Elliott to be the most interested, according to ESPN.
And why wouldn't they be? There was speculation that the Eagles could be targeting Elliott when they swapped first-round picks with the Dolphins in a trade last month.
After ranking 14th in the NFL in rushing last season with 109 yards per game, it's certainly an area that could use an upgrade, particularly since the club executed a trade last month that jettisoned running back DeMarco Murray to the Tennessee Titans. As well, Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman debunked the devaluation of the running back position last month.
"When you find a special talent at that position, that guy who can run the ball, who can pass-protect, who can catch the ball out of the backfield, that's a unique weapon," Roseman said.
That's an apt description of Elliott, whose versatility as a running back is a primary reason he's projected as an early first-round pick in NFL Media mock drafts. Elliott has been scheduled for a pre-draft visit with the Eagles, and hold the No. 8 overall pick of the draft. The Dallas Cowboys, picking at No. 4 overall, are believed to be the first significant threat to take Elliott, a two-time 1,800-yard rusher for the Buckeyes, off the board.
If he's still available at No. 8, Elliott will find out just what all the interest from the Eagles really means.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
