With the NFL draft a week away, Georgia star Todd Gurley is getting a ton of attention and some mock drafts have him going in the top 10 and in the first round the running back could be a target for teams like the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons.
Gurley is considered by many scouts to be one of the top backs in the draft and some see him as the best alongside Melvin Gordon. According to Pro Football Talk, the "hype" around Gurley is building ahead of the draft, with ESPN expert Todd McShay predicting he will go in the top 10. Running backs have slipped out of the first round over the last few years, but Gurley and Gordon are predicted by many to go in the first round of picks this year.
Gurley had an ACL injury last season, but PFT reports that on his medical re-check his turned "out fine" and that could push him up draft boards this year. Gurley is coming off of a solid season at Georgia despite playing in six games due to injury and suspension, rushing for over 900 yards in that limited time. Gurley scored nine touchdowns last season and had 36 in his career and he could be the first running back off the board in the draft.
Gurley had his best season in 2012 with 1385 yards and 17 touchdowns and the year after that he added 989 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games. The top 10 has some teams that could be interested, although the Raiders likely will not use a pick that high on a running back. The Jets could be in the mix, but they may trade back, while the Chicago Bears have met with Gurley and the Falcons also have reported interest.
The Miami Dolphins met with Gurley ahead of the draft along with the New England Patriots, but at this point, it's unlikely Gurley lasts until the end of the first round. NFL Network's Albert Breer reports that Gurley should be ready to play Week 1 of the season and that also could help his draft stock with certain teams. The Dolphins may be in line to pick Gurley if he falls out of the top 10, as they need some depth behind Lamar Miller with Knowshon Moreno and Daniel Thomas out in free agency.
The Patriots have met with Gurley and they would love to add him to the mix, but he is not going to last until the end of the first round. The RB class is deep this year and players like Melvin Gordon, Ameer Abdullah and Tevin Coleman could be potential options. The Falcons have a need at running back with Steven Jackson gone in free agency, but they may not want to use a pick in the top 10 on a player at that position.
Gurley is moving up draft boards fast and with his combination of size and speed, he should be a first round pick. It will be interesting to see if a running back sneaks into the top 10 again.
