Associated Press

Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott has yet to play a down in the NFL, yet his popularity is already soaring.

Director of NFC Football Communications Randall Liu reported Tuesday that Elliott's No. 21 jersey has been the best-selling jersey on NFLShop.com since April:

Elliott, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, has beaten those selected before him in merchandise, along with all other NFL players.

Playing for a big-market team in Dallas likely has something to do with Elliott's enormous jersey sales. The Cowboys' brand is as strong and enduring as any, as evidenced by their "America's Team" moniker.

There's legitimate substance behind the buzz surrounding Elliott, though. The Ohio State product ran for 3,699 yards in his last two college seasons while amassing 41 touchdowns on the ground. He's about to play behind a magnificent Dallas offensive line and will have a top-tier quarterback in Tony Romo complementing him.

Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports believes the 2016 Cowboys will need to use Elliott as a workhorse in order to have success:

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Dallas safety Barry Church recently commented on how Elliott could have a similar impact to DeMarco Murray, who won the 2014 NFL rushing title and helped the Cowboys win the NFC East that season.

"Hopefully, we can get back to that same formula, where we're just grounding and pounding people and then we're just coming in there and cleaning things up," said Church, per Sirius XM NFL Radio (via FoxSports.com's Cameron DaSilva). "So we'll see what happens, but he has all the talent in the world."

If Romo can stay healthy after missing 12 games last season, Elliott should have a ton of room to run in his first year as a pro.

Teams don't often draft running backs with high first-round picks in the modern era, but Elliott has the all-around skill set to merit the selection. He is among the most willing backfield blockers in recent memory, which will help Romo in pass-protection situations and increase the young ball-carrier's every-down value.