A running back who suffered a torn ACL in November is the top-ranked player -- not just the top-ranked back, but the top-ranked player -- on one team's draft board? That's apparently the case.
Todd Gurley, who suffered the knee injury in a Nov. 15 win over Auburn, is considered a first-round lock despite the injury, and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon also is expected to be a first-round pick. That means two backs could go in the first round after no backs went in the first round in either of the past two drafts; the two-year no-backs-in-the-first-round streak is the longest in NFL draft history.
Gurley (6-foot-1, 222 pounds) is both fast and powerful, and he also is a proven receiver. He also did a nice job in pass protection when he was asked to do that, making him one of the most well-rounded backs to come along in years. But he does have an injury history, as 2013 was the only one of his three seasons at Georgia in which he played every game.
All six NFL Media analysts who have done mock drafts have Gurley going in the first round; Brian Baldinger has him as the No. 6 pick, to the New York Jets. The others have him going from the late teens to the late 20s.
Could he possibly go top 10? It seems more likely he goes somewhere in the teens, but given Rapoport's report, perhaps a top-10 selection it is not so far-fetched -- and that just makes you wonder how highly Gurley would be thought of had he not suffered the knee injury.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
