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Moore: Cowboys ditch team need by drafting Ezekiel Elliott to try to reclaim identity they lost with DeMarco Murray

Ezekiel Elliott doesn't address a position of need. He was taken with the fourth pick in Thursday's NFL draft for another reason.

The Cowboys want the Ohio State star to help the team reclaim the identity it lost when DeMarco Murray left in free agency.

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Tony Dorsett, taken with the second pick in the 1977 draft, and Emmitt Smith, taken 17th in '90, are the only other running backs in franchise history taken in the top 20.

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Elliott considers his inclusion in this Hall of Fame company an honor, not a burden.

"I'm glad my name is even up there with those guys,'' Elliott said. "I'm going to say this one thing. I don't think anyone can expect any more of me than what I expect of myself.

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"I'm ready for the challenge. I'm a competitor and this is what I live for.

"The Cowboys have the best offensive line in the league and that's a running back's dream. From what I've seen on film they pop those holes open and the running backs just get to the second level so fast.

"I'm excited.''

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The discussion at No. 4 came down to Elliott and Florida State cornerback/safety Jalen Ramsey. But it became clear in recent days that the club was leaning toward Elliott.

Elliott is the top ranked player on the Cowboys board. As owner Jerry Jones said, that got his attention. He also made it clear that it wasn't him leading the charge to take Elliott, that he initially wondered if the club should take a running back that high.

But consensus built quickly. Head coach Jason Garrett called him a foundational player in those meetings and again to the media late Thursday evening after the first round was over.

Baltimore called when the Cowboys were on the clock hoping to trade. The Ravens, sitting at No. 6, felt they needed to jump ahead of Jacksonville at No. 5 to land their target. There was a suspicion Baltimore wanted Ramsey.

The Cowboys declined and stayed at four to take Elliott. That's when the club learned that the Ravens were also moving up in hopes of taking Elliott.

"We sat there and liked what we had with Ezekiel,'' executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "We were open if the right thing was there and actually had an offer on the pick, but decided it wasn't worth the risk.

"We were really convicted at the end of the day that the guy we took was the one that could do the most for our football team.''

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The Cowboys tried to move into the back of the first round to select quarterback Paxton Lynch. But Denver pulled off the deal, moving to No. 26, to take the Memphis quarterback.

"Frankly, give Denver credit,'' Jerry Jones said. "I thought we had it done. It was that close.

"He's a top prospect, probably the highest upside in the draft. Congratulations to Denver.''

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The intention now is to use the Cowboys second round pick, which is No. 34, on defense early Friday evening.

A little more than one year ago, the Cowboys let Murray walk in free agency after he established a franchise rushing record in helping the team compile a 12-4 record. Garrett said time and time again that he, more than any one player, established the team's identity.

Club officials took a different tact in Murray's absence, turning to veteran Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle, who now sits in a Kansas jail. The team added veteran Alfred Morris in free agency.

Using such a high pick on Elliott shows the club's commitment to getting back to the team it was in '14.

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"They have a lot of trust in me but there are a lot of battle-tested backs in that room,'' Elliott said. "And I do not think coming in I'm the starter. That's a job I'm going to have to earn.''

Elliott said his emotions were all over the place Thursday evening. He was happy when his Ohio State teammate Joey Bosa went one pick ahead of him to San Diego, then sat and watched the clock tick down. Then he got the call from Garrett.

"I just kind of lost it,'' Elliott said. "I dropped my phone and I almost burst into tears. I pulled it together and went around the table and hugged my family.''

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Elliott believes he "can be a bell-cow running back'' for the Cowboys. He joins Tony Romo and Dez Bryant in the latest incarnation of The Triplets.

"I think we can be a three-headed monster,'' Elliott said. "I'm excited to get to Dallas. I'm going to get my head in that playbook so I can be ready to play as soon as possible.

"Going into the draft that was the No. 1 place I wanted to end up at and that's a dream come true.''

EZEKIEL ELLIOTT

Position: Running back

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Pick: No. 4 overall

College: Ohio State

Ht., wt: 6-0, 225.

Notable: Elliott rushed for 1,821 yards (140.1 ypg) and 23 touchdowns in 13 games as a junior in 2015, and was named the Big Ten's offensive player of the year. He also had 27 catches for 206 yards. He finished the 2014 season with monster games in the Big Ten championship, Sugar Bowl and national championship game, which OSU won at Arlington's AT&T Stadium behind 246 yards and four touchdowns from Elliott. Elliott's youth league coaches in the St. Louis area named him "One Speed," he said, because he didn't understand tempo and "did everything at one speed. Very fast." Elliott's father Stacy starred at linebacker and his mother Dawn competed in the heptathlon at Missouri. Mentor is former NFL running back Marshall Faulk. Elliott said he learned a lot from his comments after loss to Michigan State when his critique of coaches' playcalling sparked controversy.

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Quote: "The Cowboys have the best offensive line in the league and that's a running back's dream. From what I've seen on film they pop those holes open and the running backs just get to the second level so fast. ...I'm excited."

-- Via Kate Hairopoulos

Catch David Moore on The Ticket (1310 AM and 96.7 FM) as part of the station's wall to wall draft coverage on April 28-30.

Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN

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