(07-10-2021, 01:41 AM)JagFanatic24 Wrote:

(07-09-2021, 12:24 PM)SeldomRite Wrote: Ekeler is a good player, though I think you may think he's better than I think he is. However, if you take a running back in the first round he needs to come out of the gate as a top ten back in the league. Etienne needs to have a 1500 yards 10 TD type of season (rushing and receiving combined for both of those stats) to justify that kind of draft position. If Etienne is just a decent back, and not a great running back then then Meyer made a really stupid pick.

I disagree. ETN was drafted #25 overall instead of being drafted in the top 5. With the way the draft fell he was a BAP type of pick. He could have something like 900 yards rushing with 9 Touchdowns. Return kickoffs and/or punts, and have somewhere around 300 yards receiving, and break off some huge plays and still be considered a heck of a player. 

He was the 25th pick tho, so he doesn’t have those same expectations as a rookie Ezekiel Elliot, who was picked 4th overall in 2016.

(Emphasis added)

Draft position aside, Etienne and Elliott would have different expectations because they are different types of backs on different types of teams.

Etienne was drafted exactly one spot below Najee Harris, and I have different expectations for Etienne than I do Najee Harris.  Harris, being at least 15 lbs heavier is much more of a between the tackles pounder than Etienne.  Though Pittsburgh suppposedly lined Harris out wide in some mini camp formations, I expect Etienne to be utilized much more in space than Harris.

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