Those two backs faced off in a College Football Playoff semifinal a year ago that the Buckeyes won on their way to the 2014 national title. They faced off in the Heisman race during 2015
Ezekiel Elliott vs Derrick Henry
INDIANAPOLIS Ezekiel Elliott had the upper hand and he also has the bigger hand.
The Ohio State Buckeye has been forecast from the start of the draft process as the No. 1 running back in the 2016 NFL Draft, ahead of Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion Derrick Henry of Alabama.
Those two backs faced off in a College Football Playoff semifinal a year ago that the Buckeyes won on their way to the 2014 national title. They faced off in the Heisman race during 2015, as Henry won the trophy and a national title and Elliott missed out on a trip to New York and a playoff return.
The world missed out on an on field rematch. The two are going head to head this week in the draft process.
And this looks like Elliott’s time.
Elliott’s hand was measured at 10 1/4 inches on Wednesday, the largest among the combine running backs.
Henry? He had much tinier hands at 8 3/4 inches that for a much bigger man.
While Elliott checked in at 6 foot and 225 pounds, Henry measured 6 3 and 247 pounds.
Henry is huge, even a little bigger than he expected.
"I was kind of surprised I was 247. It’ll go down," said Henry, who blamed it on water weight and said he expects to play at around 242 pounds. "I didn’t think I was that heavy."
The number he liked even less was the second round draft evaluation he said he received before turning pro. Meanwhile, the debate around Elliott seems to be over whether he deserves to go in the top 10 or not.
"I just use it as fuel," Henry said of that second round grade. "I use it as fuel."
Another number Henry may need to talk about this week is 395, his number of carries this season. That’s a huge workload, even in a 15 game schedule. Elliott ran the ball 273 times during Ohio State’s 15 game title season in 2014, and in 2015 Elliott ran it 289 times in 13 games, more than 100 fewer carries than Henry.
Henry: 395 carries, 2219 yards, 5.62 average, 28 TDs, 26 carries/game, 148 yards/game
Elliott: 289 carries, 1821 yards, 6.3 average, 23 TDs, 22 carries/game, 140 yard/game
While some OSU fans during the year wondered if Elliott should have been given the ball more frequently, when it comes to the NFL, less is more. Most running backs have a shelf life and teams may not want too much of it used up in college.
Henry’s answer on that for NFL teams?
"I can take some of those carries (in the NFL) as well," Henry said. "I’m good."
He is good. No one doubts that. But Elliott might be viewed as great. Henry said he and Elliott, who did not meet with reporters Wednesday, have talked a bit since they reached Indianapolis, and he said there’s a mutual respect there.
Henry said he wants to get better with his quickness and with catching the ball. While there’s been a parade of Alabama NFL backs to the league, with four taken in the top two rounds in the last five years, that list might not be doing Henry any favors.
"You’ve got to make a team want to draft you. That’s on you and how you perform," Henry said.
So there he is Heisman winner, National Champion and the back behind Elliott.
"No, no, not at all. I approach the situation as an underdog," Henry said when asked if he felt like he should be the top running back taken based on his honors. "That’s how I’ve approached it every day since I’ve been training."
转载请注明来源：Those two backs faced off in a College Football Playoff semifinal a year ago that the Buckeyes won on their way to the 2014 national title. They faced off in the Heisman race during 2015
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