Chris Johnson, Marshawn Lynch, C.J. Spiller and LeSean McCoy are just a few of the top running backs to come out of the NFL draft since the Minnesota Vikings made Adrian Peterson the No. 7 overall pick in 2007.
And none of them, according to an NFL talent evaluator who spoke to NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport, measures up to Georgia's Todd Gurley. The evaluator said Gurley rates as the best prospect the league has seen since Peterson came out of Oklahoma. That's a bold statement, although strangely enough, there are those who believe Gurley won't even be the first back chosen in his own draft.
Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon, who unlike Gurley isn't recovering from ACL surgery, could get the nod. At this point, however, all six NFL Media analysts who have posted mock drafts project Gurley to go ahead of Gordon -- including one mock that has him going No. 6 overall. Analyst Bryan Baldinger believes Gurley is the most talented player in the entire draft.
Teams in need of a running back, probably early in the draft, include the Oakland Raiders (No. 4), San Diego Chargers (No. 17), and Dallas Cowboys (No. 27). Whether Gurley will fall far enough for Dallas to select him, however, is highly questionable.
Gurley, for his part, told SiriusXM NFL Radio that his rehabilitation remains on schedule, and that he is planning to return to Indianapolis on April 17 to have his knee checked by combine doctors.
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