The Dallas Cowboys have one of the most explosive weapons in the NFL in running back Tony Pollard. However, it took quite a while to fully grasp just how good he was.

Pollard was the second option behind recently released veteran Ezekiel for several seasons. When he got his opportunities, Pollard constantly showed that he was a dangerous asset with the ball in his hands as his speed, field vision, and elusiveness caused fits for opposing defenses.

After registering under 500 yards in each of his first two seasons, Pollard saw his chances to make plays increase in 2021 when Elliott dealt with a torn PCL in his knee that he gritted his teeth through. Pollard racked up 719 yards on 130 attempts and set a career-high with 5.5 yards per rush.

There was no denying last season that Elliott had taken a significant step back plus he dealt with another knee issue. So, it was time to put more of an emphasis on getting Pollard touches, and it paid off.

The former fourth-round pick led the Cowboys with 1,007 rushing yards and added another 371 yards receiving, both career-high marks in those categories. As a result, Dallas pushed all their chips to the middle of the table on Pollard and placed the franchise on him a week before they parted ways with Elliott. 

Pollard is the man now in Dallas, and Pro Football Focus feels he's more than earned that distinction as they ranked him eighth in their top running back rankings. 

Pollard has been one of the most exciting backs to watch in the NFL over the past two seasons. His 91.0 rushing grade across the past two years ranks fourth in the NFL. He also has the highest yards-per-carry figure (5.3) and the second-highest yards-after-contact average (3.7) in that span. Let's hope he’s fully healthy this upcoming season. If he is, history tells us he’ll put on a show as RB1 in Dallas.-Trevor Sikkema, PFF

Pollard is currently working his way back from a broken leg he suffered in the Cowboys' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers but he did participate in a limited fashion during OTAs this week. This will give guys like Ronald Jones, Malik Davis, Rico Dowdle, and rookie Deuce Vaughn time to get some extra work.

Once he's back at full strength, immense production will follow for Pollard.