April is supposed to be the offseason, but Melvin Gordon sees the NFL draft itself as competition.
And for him, Todd Gurley is the opponent.
The former Wisconsin running back is intent on being the first running back chosen in the draft, and isn't afraid to let people know why he's the right choice over Gurley, the former Georgia star who, like Gordon, entered the draft as an underclassman.
"It's me against Todd right now," Gordon said, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Obviously, Todd is a great player. But I'm not 230 (pounds). We're both fast. He's a bigger back. I feel like that shouldn't take away. He's considered the special back and the rest of the class, especially me, we're just another group of guys. I don't find that fair because I feel like I'm a special back. I feel like I can do it all."
The two are friends, but there's nothing friendly about the difference between being the first running back selected and the second. If one is chosen early and the other tumbles, millions of dollars will turn on which of the two gets the first call. NFL Media mock drafts have Gurley going as high as No. 8 overall to the Atlanta Falcons, and Gordon as low as No. 27 to the Cowboys. Yet, with Gurley recovering from a torn ACL, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that Gordon gets his wish as the first back chosen.
"I'm a playmaker. I can run the ball up the middle. I can run it outside. I can run the ball from the gun. I can do it all," Gordon added. "I can catch the ball and make some plays; I've done it. ... I think guys just automatically assume because I'm not 230 and I'm not straight bulldozing guys over that I'm not a strong runner, which is false. ... I'm a special back, and I know I am."
After two consecutive drafts without a running back being chosen in the first round, both Gurley and Gordon are expected to snap the trend.
But for Gordon, the order in which they do it is no small matter.
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