To some, Ezekiel Elliott is already the best running back in the NFL.

After a breakout NFL debut, the Dallas Cowboys' fourth overall pick has outpaced even his own feverish pre-draft hype -- effectively putting the league on notice he'll be dominant for years to come. As mind-bending as Elliott's numbers were last season, he still feels he "left a lot of yards on the field" in 2016 -- if you can believe it.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report recently floated the question of who's the top dog in the league at the RB position, and he was surprised to find not many NFL front office reps share his view.

My answer: Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott if he can keep it together off the field (no more ripping down shirts to expose breasts) and the NFL's ongoing investigation into domestic violence allegations doesn't cost him playing time. What might surprise you is that almost no one else I spoke to agreed. Every NFL evaluator except for one replied that Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell is the league's best back. Bell, the guy currently not at OTAs and who hasn't signed his franchise tag. Elliott led the NFL in rushing last season, and conventional wisdom says he'll enjoy a big follow-up season, but NFL evaluators and decision-makers see things differently. As one put it, "Bell transcends scheme. You can flex him out and he's going to beat defenders in one-on-ones as a receiver." Said another, "With Zeke, you have to worry about how long he's going to stay committed. Bell's a dog. He won't ever quit." Ezekiel Elliott definitely has the skills to remain one of the NFL's top producers at running back, but when it comes to talent, he was consistently ranked behind Bell by evaluators polled for this article. Bell's agent will be happy to hear that as they try to hammer out a long-term deal to keep him in Pittsburgh.

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It's tough to dispute Elliott being the No. 1 back in football, even when directly comparing his numbers to Bell.

In 2016, Elliott ran for 363 more yards than did Bell -- while also scoring eight more rushing touchdowns. He also edges the Pittsburgh Steelers' star in yards from scrimmage, delivering 1,994 total to Bell's still-impressive 1,884. Some will argue the difference in production is due to Bell missing games due to NFL suspension for missing a mandatory drug screening -- but that isn't Elliott's fault.

Bell didn't follow the rules, and that's simply another demerit in this debate, versus an excuse to work around.

Assuming the two-time pro bowler did play a full 16-game season, Elliott is still projected to have bested him. Bell averaged a stellar 105.7 rushing yards per game last season -- which amounts to 422.8 additional yards, sending his regular season total to 1,691. Yes, that surpasses Elliott until you realize the rookie did not play in Week 17 due to the Cowboys resting their starters.

Averaging a monster 108.7 yards per game last season, Elliott's full regular season figure projects to 1,740 -- still 49 yards more than Bell.

Or there's the head-to-head debate stemming from when the two met in Week 9, with Elliott mounting 209 total yards from scrimmage with three touchdowns -- including the game-winner. Bell had just 135 total -- including only 57 rushing yards to Elliott's 114 -- to go along with the veteran's two TDs.

And then there's the fact that Elliott is just getting started, while Bell tries to determine if he wants to remain in Pittsburgh.

The weaponry surrounding Elliott is also more potent than that in the Steel City, which sets him up to potentially deliver a 2,000-yard season this Fall. From All-Pro wide receiver Dez Bryant, to legend Jason Witten, to Cole Beasley coming off of a career year, the Cowboys' opposition simply has too many factors to account for.

That's before adding in wide receivers Terrance Williams and rookie Ryan Switzer, along with the potential regular season debut of tight end Rico Gathers.

But wait, there's more.

There's also a guy at quarterback named Dak Prescott, the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year -- and that vaunted Cowboys' offensive line, which has potentially upgraded in the wake of veteran tackle Doug Free's retirement. That move forced guard La'El Collins out to the right edge, potentially making the Cowboys' offensive front impenetrable on a bad day.

From All-Pro wideout Antonio Brown to two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger, there's no denying the Steelers have the talent to keep Bell in the upper echelon of NFL backs, if they can keep him at all considering he's yet to report to minicamp and is refusing to sign his franchise tender.

To sum up, Elliott's rookie year also saw him rush for 270 more yards and seven more touchdowns than Bell did in 2014 -- when the veteran posted career highs in both categories on his way to being named First-Team All Pro. It was the first such nod of his career, landing the honor in his second NFL season.

Elliott did it in his first.

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