The NFL draft is less than two weeks away and the running back position is starting to get more attention, as players like Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon could be potential targets for teams, including the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, NY Giants and New York Jets.
The running back class is very deep this year, but unit is also top heavy with Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, Ameer Abdullah and Duke Johnson coming out. Gurley is looked at as the top back in the draft, but some scouts have Gordon very close or ahead of him on draft boards. Gurley had his season cut short in 2014, but he averaged over seven yards per carry and is a strong runner up the middle that also has speed on the outside.
Gurley has visited with a number of teams so far this offseason and ESPN.com reports that he is meeting with the New England Patriots this week. According to Pro Football Talk, Gurley has also visited with the Browns, Lions and Miami Dolphins this offseason. Gordon is also getting attention and he has visited with the Dallas Cowboys and has met with other teams. Gordon had a massive season last year with over 2000 yards rushing for Wisconsin.
According to Charles Robinson at Yahoo Sports, Gurley is quickly moving up draft boards and he could be a top 10 selection after many speculated that he would be a mid-round pick. The major concern with Gurley is his injured knee after he dealt with an ACL last year, but reports have his medical issues checking out fine in the latest tests and that his knee is "good to go". Gurley could be a pick for the Raiders if they trade back, or the Bears if they stand pat at number seven.
Gurley could be the highest back taken in a while if he gets through to the top 10 or even the first round, as last season the first RB went in the second. No back has gone as high as the top five since back in 2012 when Trent Richardson was picked. Many scouts think that will change this year, as Gurley and Gordon have the potential to go high.
Gurley comes in after a strong run at Georgia and he dealt with an ACL injury and a suspension last year that limited him to just six games. Gurley rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns and he also had a 7.4 yards per carry average last season. Gurley had 989 yards in 2013 and had his best season in 2012 when he rushed for nearly 1400 yards and had 17 touchdowns. Gurley had 36 touchdowns in three seasons with the Bulldogs and he averaged 6.4 yards per carry in his career.
