#DALvsTEN: Derrick Henry a Reminder of What Could’ve Been for Cowboys

Can you imagine what the Dallas Cowboys would’ve looked like the last 2 1/2 years without Running Back Ezekiel Elliott? (shivers at the thought) He is without a doubt the engine that drives the Cowboys offense, but there was a time that many around Cowboys Nation believed Derrick Henry could do just as well.

Leading into the 2016 NFL Draft there was quite a debate as to who the Dallas Cowboys should select fourth overall. The discussion centered around former Ohio State Buckeye RB Ezekiel Elliott and Florida State Seminole DB Jalen Ramsey, but Derrick Henry definitely factored into the debate as well.

Cowboys fans were pretty much split down the middle as to whether or not they wanted Dallas to take Zeke or Ramsey with their fourth overall selection. I for one was Team Zeke all the way because I believed he could do more to improve the entire team, but I definitely understood why there were so many jumping aboard the Team Ramsey train.

Jalen Ramsey was definitely worthy of becoming the Dallas Cowboys fourth overall selection. He possessed all of the intangibles to become a “shutdown” cornerback in the NFL and the versatility to play safety as well. Those were both positions the Cowboys desperately needed to upgrade, hence the high volume of interest in him being the selection.

Those aboard the Team Ramsey train made the argument that if the Cowboys were to draft the talented Florida State DB in the first-round, they could then come back and get their running back in the second-round, à la Derrick Henry. The logic was sound, but maybe not the right move for Dallas.

Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott and Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry

Make no mistake, Derrick Henry was a talented RB and was highly touted by many draft analyst coming out of Alabama, but he was no Ezekiel Elliott. Both players definitely had outstanding collegiate careers, but only one of them really had the skill set that translated best into the NFL game today.

Yes, I’m talking about Zeke. He was considered one of the most complete running backs coming out of college for a reason. His skill set would transition to any offensive scheme as both a runner and receiver, but he also possessed top-notch pass protection skills as well.

Derrick Henry on the other hand wasn’t as scheme diverse. Henry is more of the “old school” RB, whose skill set probably works best in a power blocking scheme. He is at his best when he gets his momentum going downhill, but really struggles when he is forced to run side to side. That running style just didn’t fit very well in the Cowboys zone blocking scheme.

We know now the Dallas Cowboys made the right decision drafting Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall and then following that up with Linebacker Jaylon Smith with their second-round selection. They are arguably among the best at their given positions in the NFL and are playing big roles in their third year with the Cowboys.

Unfortunately, I don’t think you could’ve said the same about the combination of DB Jalen Ramsey and RB Derrick Henry. Ramsey has turned into one of the best cornerbacks in the league, but Henry is struggling to find his footing still in Tennessee. It’s hard not to wonder “what if” things would’ve turned out differently. What would the combination of Ramsey and Henry look like in Dallas?

Can you imagine Derrick Henry as the Cowboys RB instead of Zeke?