The running back position seemed like an afterthought in the first round of recent drafts, but that isn't the case this year.
Outside of Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota's potential landing spot, where Georgia running back Todd Gurley winds up being selected might be the most intriguing storyline of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Gurley would be a certain first-round pick if not for his torn ACL, and the progress of his rehab remains in question. Those questions should be cleared up this weekend, when Gurley undergoes a medical recheck in Indianapolis, but NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks that even before that, Gurley is more likely to go early in the draft rather than slide.
"I think he's more likely to go in the top 10 than he is to go in the bottom 10 of the first round," Jeremiah said on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft." "More likely he's going to go in that 10 to pick 22. I have very little doubt he's going to be a first-round pick, it's just a matter of how high he'll go."
Gurley is Jeremiah's No. 12 player overall in this draft, one spot ahead of fellow tailback Melvin Gordon. Both were recently invited to Chicago for the draft and figure to be off the board by the end of Round 1.
NFL.com mock drafts see San Diego as the most likely landing spot for Gurley, but he was projected as high as No. 8 overall to the Atlanta Falcons by NFL Media analyst Charles Davis.
While Gurley might not be healthy enough to play at full speed until a few games into the season, some franchise will be getting a very talented running back; some would argue he is the most talented player in the draft.
"There are so many cases you can make about a football player like this," Jeremiah added. "He's a special player."
As Adrian Peterson once proved, backs can come back just fine from an ACL injury and be an impact player in the NFL. Gurley is hoping to show the same for some team picking early in the first round.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
