March 25--Ezekiel Elliott is climbing the mock draft boards, with two of NFL.com's four analysts predicting the former Ohio State running back will go No. 4 to the Cowboys.
That would be just fine with the Elliott family.
But there's another possibility that intrigues Stacy Elliott, Ezekiel's father.
The Bears have the 11th pick, and NFL Network analyst Charles Davis has Elliott going to Chicago.
"If he went to Chicago," Stacy Elliott told the Tribune on Friday, "that would be a beautiful thing."
The Bears running backs coach is Stan Drayton, who recruited and coached Elliott at Ohio State from 2013-14.
"We love him," Stacy said. "His family and my family are very tight to this day. My wife was in Chicago last week and saw them.
"He'd be reunited with the man who has had the most to do with the rise of Ezekiel Elliott. He's a great teacher and his expectation is greatness. There's a spiritual component in his teaching, too. To be in his (meeting) room, you have to study the game beyond technique and your position."
With Matt Forte having departed, the Bears might want a top-flight running back to compete with Jeremy Langford. Elliott won the 2015 Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten's best player as he rushed for 1,821 yards and 23 touchdowns.
As Davis wrote on NFL.com: "I know HC (head coach) John Fox recently praised his current RBs, but I also know that Elliott has the talent to help the Bears immediately in the same ways that Matt Forte did: running, catching, blocking."
ESPN's Mel Kiper rates Elliott as the No. 10 overall player in the draft, writing: "I've repeated the mantra that I wouldn't draft a running back in Round 1 a thousand times, but Elliott is the kind of talent that tempts you. He's such a complete back, and figures to upgrade many teams at the position depending on where he lands."
ESPN's Todd McShay has the Bears selecting Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin, with Elliott going 13th to the Dolphins: "The No. 5 player on our board, Elliott has the skill set to be an every-down RB from Day 1. He's an exceptional blocker and a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield, while also showing great vision and suddenness in the open field."
tgreenstein@tribpub.com
