Ezekiel Elliott

Elliott's 696 rushing yards across the three 2014 Playoff games — the Big Ten Championship rout of Wisconsin, the Sugar Bowl win over Alabama, the title game in Arlington against Oregon — is the line that made the inaugural Playoff bracket feel earned. The Cardale Jones third-string starter situation only worked because the offensive line was Big Ten's best and Elliott was the era's best one-cut zone-runner. The Cowboys took him fourth overall in 2016 and got the rookie season every projection had promised.