Ezekiel Elliot aka Zeke played college ball at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015 and swelled fear into the hearts of safeties when he broke past the initial line of defense (which was early and often).
Read on to learn which Ezekiel Elliot rookie cards you should be investing in…
Shop for Ezekiel Elliot Rookie Cards on eBay
Ezekiel Elliott (7/22/95 ) was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 4th overall pick in the 2916 NFL Draft. He is a beast of a running back standing 6 ft tall and clocking in at 230 pounds.
He combines quick feet with a supreme burst to the hole and high-end vision with superb balance… he also has a good sense of humor… see the time he jumped into the Red Salvation Army Bowl during Week 15 of the 2016 NFL season against the Tamba Bay Bucs…
Things are looking bright as Elliot is in his prime, has a pro-bowl QB in Dak Prescott, and a rookie wideout who has a super high ceiling in CeeDee Lamb… this offense is loaded for bear and should come up humming on all cylinder.
Being a 4th overall draft pick there is not a shortage of Ezekiel Elliot rookie cards to pick from.
Let’s take a look at the top Zek rookie cards for investment purposes.
Best Ezekiel Elliott Rookie Cards
2016 Ezekiel Elliot Panini Prizm Silver #21 and #238 (buy on eBay)
Here is your best bet when it comes to Zeke rookie cards… the 2016 Ezekiel Elliot Prizm rookie card is widely available and should drive the rest of the Zeke RC market.
Numbered #21 the card shows Elliot with the pigskin during what appears to be pregame warmups.
Numbered #238 the card shows Zeke juking a defender out of his shoes while holding the ball his right hand.
The reverse of the card reads “On the shortlist to win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, Elliot entered the 2016 season topping another prestige list. Based on sales reported from April 1 through June 30, the former Ohio State and current Cowboys player beat out teammate Dez Bryant and other NFL stars for most jerseys sold“.
2016 Ezekiel Elliot Panini Prizm Parallels: Prizm (veterans only, RC base are Prizms) – Blue Prizm – Flash Prizm – Green Prizm – Pink Prizm – Red Prizm – Red, White, and Blue Disco Prizm – Orange Prizm – /299 – Light Blue Prizm – /199 – Blue Wave Prizm – /149 – Purple Scope Prizm – /99 – Red Crystals Prizm – /75 – Green Power Prizm – /49 – Camo Prizm – /25 – Gold Prizm – /10 – Gold Vinyl Prizm – /5 – Black Finite Prizm – 1/1
2016 Ezekiel Elliot Donruss Optic #168 (buy on eBay)
Another nice Zeke rookie card that rivals the Prizm and is honestly our favorite Elliot rookie card.
Numbered #168 the card shows Ezekiel with a stern ass look on his face looking to eat some linebackers for a late Sunday brunch… yum!
The reverse of the card reads “In 2014, the Cowboy’s blueprint for success involved a heavy run game to help control the football. After some struggles in 2015, Dallas tabbed Elliot to upgrade their gritty, ground-and-pound attack. His vision and running style should lead to bug numbers behind arguably the best offensive line in the NFL“.
2016 Ezekiel Elliot Donruss Optic Parallels: Holo, Aqua (/299), Orange (/199), Blue (/149), Red (/99), Carolina Blue (/50), Black (/25), Gold (/10), Green (/5) and the Superfractor-like Gold Vinyl (1/1)
Top Rated Zeke Rookie Cards
2016 Ezekiel Elliott Panini National Treasures Rookie Card #104 (buy on eBay)
Better come loaded if you want the Zeke National Treasure rookie card as this card is one of the most expensive of his rookie cards if not the most.
Numbered #104 the card shows Zeke with the ball in his left arm while showing off the White Dallas Cowboys jersey. Best of all the card comes with an autograph and a game-worn patch… cha-ching cha-ching!
The reverse of the card simply shows his vitals along with the wording “The enclosed player-worn material and autograph are guaranteed by Panini America Inc.”
2016 Ezekiel Elliot Panini Contenders #310 (buy on eBay)
Here is a Zeke rookie card for those looking to spend a little more money vs the Prizm and Optic rookie card but not spending as much vs the 2016 Panini National Treasures Ezekiel Elliott RC #104 Auto Patch /99.
Numbered #310 the card shows Elliot with the pigskin in his right hand while breaking away from the pack… all aboard the Zeke train the photo screams!
The reverse of the card reads “If the Cowboys want to return to the success of their 2014 season, they must run the ball effectively. Elliot serves as the missing piece to an offense that wants to follow its top-rated offensive line and bully opponents for huge gains. He should be the focal point of a Dallas rushing attack loaded with depth“.
Honorable Mention Ezekiel Elliot Rookie Card
This card didn’t quite make our list of the top three Ezekiel Elliot rookie cards but it’s still worth mentioning due to its rarity.
2016 Panini Flawless Ezekiel Elliot RC #87 /20
This Elliot card comes from the Panini Flawless set, which instead of arriving in packs comes in a briefcase.
This card is luxury embodied and while it does not have an autograph or jersey patch, it does have a small diamond embedded in the card.
On top of the diamond, it was limited to a print run of just twenty cards.
Overall this card is one of the most high-end products available in the industry and would be worth a look at from many collectors though its high price will keep it unavailable to many.
Ezekiel Elliot Rookie Card Value (Worth)
Ezekiel Elliot rookie cards are valued correctly as he hasn’t had much playoff success as of yet.
Please email us at value@goldcardauctions.com with your Zeke rookie cards if you would like an estimated value of the card.
Rookie Card Checklist
- 2016 Panini Prizm RC #238
- 2016 Panin Prizm Rookie Card #21
- 2016 Panini Preferred RC Auto Jersey /99 #64
- 2016 Certified RC Auto Jersey /149 #204
- 2016 Panini National Treasures#104
- 2016 Panini Encased RC Autograph /49 #115
- 2016 Panini Contenders #310
- 2016 Panini Honors RC Autograph /99 #82
- 2016 Donruss Optic #168
- 2016 Ezekiel Elliott Rookie Card Score #344
- 2016 Ezekiel Elliott Prestige Rookie Card
- 2016 Panini Black Gold Auto Jersey Cowboys /225 #100
- 2016 Panini Playbook RC Auto Dual Jersey /99 #104
- 2016 Panini Kickoff Ezekiel Cowboys /699 #51
- 2016 Panini Spectra Ezekiel Auto Patch /99 RC #174
- 2016 Contenders Draft Picks Rookie Card Auto #105
- 2016 Panini Clear Vision Rookie Cowboys #169
- 2016 Classics RC #212
- 2016 Panini Prizm Ezekiel Elliott RC #238
- 2016 Crown Royale Rookie Cowboys #98
- 2016 Elite Rookie Card #164
- 2016 Panini Spectra Rookie Card #162
- 2016 Absolute RC Auto Memorabilia /199 #204
- 2016 Prime Signatures RC Autograph /199 #282
- 2016 Panini Origins RC Auto #104
- 2016 Panini Flawless RC #87
- 2016 Panini Phoenix RC Auto Jersey /49 #184
- 2016 Panini Impeccable RC Auto Helmet/Patch #154
- 2016 National Treasures Collegiate RC Auto Patch /99 #205
- 2016 Immaculate Collection RC Auto Patch /99 #111
- 2016 Rookies and Stars Ezekiel Elliott RC #186
- 2016 Playoff Ezekiel Elliott RC #204
Investment Outlook
If Zeke can make it to the NFC Championship Game or even better the Superbowl his rookie card prices would see a nice price jump (assuming he is a big part of getting to these games).
If the Cowboys and Elliot continue to have a mediocre postseason success you will continue to see a mediocre ROI in Zeke rookie cards.
We feel the Cowboys are ready to take the next step and make a deep run into the playoffs. Dak Prescott is an underrated QB as he ranked 4th in ESPN’s NFL Total QB Rating which incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers, and penalties.
Dak, Zeke, and CeeDee plus the massive offensive line should be ready to win and win big.
Ezekiel Elliot Investment Rating: BUY