NFL
It May Surprise Some to Know Ezekiel Elliott Has More Yards Than Derrick Henry Since Both Were Drafted in 2016
Luke Norris began his sportswriting career in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2020. The former Section Editor of the NFL and Motorsports sections, he now spends his time here in the role of Senior Writer-Programmer. His well-rounded sports knowledge allows him to cover the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, MLB, boxing, WWE, and NASCAR for Sportscasting. Luke is an avid golfer who finds inspiration in the way sports can bring people together and provide a distraction from the real world. He hopes to provide a little entertainment or an escape from the real world with every article he writes, even if only for a few minutes. In addition to his work here at Sportscasting, Luke's work has appeared on The Sportster, Inquisitr, GiveMeSport, FanSided, Yahoo! Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated.
Get to know Luke Norris betterPublished29 Dec 2022
Ask the average NFL fan to choose the better running back between Derrick Henry and Ezekiel Elliott, and most would likely choose the former.
Actually, there’s solid proof that most would go with Henry. Look no further than the average draft position in fantasy football leagues for that. But maybe I just wanted a somewhat dramatic opening for what’s coming next.
In my best 30 for 30 voice: What if I told you that the overall difference between Derrick Henry and Ezekiel Elliott, at least in terms of statistics, wasn’t that substantial whatsoever? In fact, heading into Thursday night’s showdown between Henry’s Tennessee Titans and Zeke’s Dallas Cowboys, their stats are nearly identical.
Derrick Henry and Ezekiel Elliott have nearly identical stats since being drafted in 2016
Since Elliott and Henry were selected fourth and 45th, respectively, in the 2016 NFL Draft, here’s what each has done.
| Derrick Henry | Ezekiel Elliott | |
|---|---|---|
| Games Played | 101 | 101 |
| Rushes | 1,720 | 1,854 |
| Rushing Yards | 8,226 | 8,215 |
| Rushing Yards Per Game | 81.4 | 81.3 |
| Rushing Yards Per Carry | 4.78 | 4.43 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 78 | 67 |
| Rushing Titles | 2 | 2 |
| Receptions | 126 | 305 |
| Receiving Yards | 1,225 | 2,336 |
| Receiving Touchdowns | 3 | 12 |
| Total Yards From Scrimmage | 9,451 | 10,551 |
| Total Touchdowns | 81 | 79 |
| Pro Bowl Selections | 3 | 3 |
| All-Pro Selections | 2 | 2 |
Pretty wild, right?
As you can see, Henry has a slight edge in the rushing department. And while his overall lead is a mere 11 yards, he’s carried the ball 134 fewer times, which obviously gives him the edge in yards per carry. Henry also has a sizeable lead in rushing touchdowns, 78 to 67.
However, Elliott holds the lead in total yardage due to what he brings to the table as a receiver. While Henry holds that 11-yard advantage on the ground, Zeke holds a 1,100-yard advantage overall and has 79 total touchdowns to Henry’s 81.
Each has won a pair of rushing titles. Each has been selected to the Pro Bowl three times. And each is a two-time All-Pro. And even that is exactly the same as both earned one First-Team nod and one Second-Team nod.
