Ezekiel Elliott's 2017 NFL Season is one he'd like to forget. Not only was he suspended for 6 games, but the investigation was led by his employers, or at least their executive chain of command. A domestic violence charge was enough for the NFL to warrant an internal look, and they came to a decision privately. Several appeals were mounted by Ezekiel and his player agent, but in the end, the decision stood. Missing out on a sizable chunk of the season was clearly enough to throw him off his game.
The drop in form was reflected in the NFL Network's annual Top 100 list, with Elliott coming in at #54, forty seven spots below his rank from the previous year. As in Basketball, where NBA players react to their annual 2K and Sport Illustrated ratings, elite NFL players look out for the Network's Top 100 on a year-by-year basis.
According to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys' running back seems to have taken the high road with respect to his rating. "I know the player I am. You guys know the player I am. Every player in the league knows the player I am. I don't really need verification from a Top 100 list," said Elliott rather confidently. As for the rest of the list, only the bottom half has been made available. You can view it here at the NFL's official website.