Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Cowboys were impressive last season but these players are sure to improve in the 2022 campaign and give the team a boost after some key losses.
It’s been a somewhat frustrating 2022 offseason for the Dallas Cowboys. The team looked to some cap-cutting measures that sent key cogs out of the building, most notably with Amari Cooper being traded and La’el Collins being released (though they were not alone).
Having said that, this is still one of the better teams in the NFC and, despite improvements around the division, a club that should waltz to another NFC East victory in the 2022 season. Part of that is due to the immense talent of Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons and many others, but also guys who are going to be better in the 2022 season than they were last year.
CeeDee Lamb obviously fits into that category, but his improvement will simply be moving into the WR1 role left vacant by Cooper. Beyond the 2021 first-rounder, though, these three players are prime candidates to take a big step forward from where they were last season.
Dallas Cowboys: 3 players sure to be better in the 2022 season
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Ezekiel Elliott
RB Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott being healthy and motivated should yield big results
Whenever the Cowboys drafted Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall and after he performed as well as he did right out of the gate, most fans would’ve told you that you were crazy if you told them that they’d be suggesting Tony Pollard, a mid-round pick out of Memphis, being the starting running back throughout the 2021 season.
That was the case, though, as Elliott struggled through a torn PCL he suffered in Week 4 and was clearly hampered by throughout the year. But now that we’re in the offseason and he’s not fighting through that ailment, it seems as if the old, hungry Zeke is back in the building for Jerry Jones’ team.
All reports indicate that Elliott looks the best and most explosive that he has in quite some time so far this offseason. That’s exactly what you want to hear, even if it can be a tired narrative for veteran players at times.
We know how good Zeke can be in this offense and he remains a key cog in multiple facets. If he can stay healthy in the 2022 season, though, we should expect a bounce-back campaign from the former Top 5 pick and one that erases the narrative about his playing time that was so prevalent a year ago.