Todd Gurley is a Great Pick for St Louis

As I watched the Redskins take Brandon Scherff off the board on the fifth overall pick, I prayed the St Louis Rams wouldn’t reach for an offensive lineman.

They certainly didn’t.

They instead shocked the world. Selecting Georgia running back Todd Gurley II. Some fans are happy, most seem upset. I admit at first I wasn’t too sure how I felt either, but after thinking hard and conducting some research, I think the pick is a good one.

After stating that, I understand there will be some arguments. People have different opinions, and that’s great, but let me debunk done of the arguments I’ve seen so far.

“We didn’t need another running back, we already had depth!”

This statement is completely true. We did have depth. Of course, keep in mind we have depth on WR also, despite the fact that many fans, (including myself) were begging for Cooper, White, or Parker. The difference between the backs we have against Hurley is simple;

He is a way better player.

I love Stacy, but he struggled last year with speed and explosiveness. Cunningham is also a reliable backup, having quick, agile feet. Mason will be a great second back, and could even start on many teams, but isn’t elite, and could possibly never be.

None of them have the talent Hurley does, the power Hurley does, or the carrying Hurley does. If Hurley does succeed, he will be a top five back. The Rams will have their own AP, their own Marshawn Lynch, and that is more than any of the backs the Rams have can give them.

It also is worth noting that, if you were on the ship of, “draft the best player available and don’t reach for a OL” then you can’t be that mad at the pick. They didn’t reach, and they selected one of the best players available.

“We need offensive line! Who’s going to block for him!?”

This one has become my favorite. Rams fans have done a great job at over selling this point lately. Yes the Rams still need offensive line help, but not as badly as everyone thinks. Barksdale looks like he will re-sign, according to rumors and sources. Tim Barnes has proven he can hold his own filling in for Wells last year. That just leaves guard. So rounds 2-7 can be completely dedicated to the guard position and heck, even some depth. Even if Barksdale does walk, we still have many picks left to find a replacement. Gurleys line wasn’t always great at Georgia, so he doesn’t need a first caliber offensive line.

“Gurley is a great running back, but the knee injury…”

This is Gurleys only downside. He is coming off a clean ACL tear and at the running back position, there is no telling how he will recover. The good news is, the doctors who have checked on Gurley claim he will make a full recovery. There isn’t any rush on him either, as the Rams still have plenty of depth. The knee is concerning, but let’s be honest, only because of Sam Bradford.

“Running backs don’t win games”

Yeah maybe so, but it certainly helps. If the Rams had Austin Davis as the quarterback, I would be more down. They don’t however, they have Nick Foles. Let’s be honest, Manning was great, but when C.J. Anderson was rushing for 200 yards a game, that offense deeply improved. Same goes for Brady and Blount, Rodgers and Lacey.

Most fans seem to be coming around. It’s hard not too when you look at the stats, it’s quite obvious that he will help Fisher have the dynamic running team he’s been after for many years. I personally would wait until the end of the draft before I got too mad though, plenty of time to fix the OL.

So just how good is Gurley? Is he really the next Adrian Peterson? Let’s dive in.

NFL.com list his NFL comparison to Marshawn Lynch, which is exciting because the Rams know how big of a headache he can be. At 6’1, 225 lbs, it also appears we have our first true replacement for Steven Jackson.

Gurley averaged 6.4 yards a carry for his career at Georgia. Posted 17 touchdowns his freshman year, and averaged 7.4 yards a carry in his junior year. Those are some impressive stats. Here is the career numbers:

Att Yds yds/c TD

2012: 222 1385 6.2 17

2013: 169 989 6.0 10

2014: 123 911 7.4 9

Gurleys big frame allows him to block very well. His vision isn’t perfect by any means, but he is powerful enough to keep rushing linebackers at bay, and can even pick up defensive lineman on some occasion.

Gurley has great hands for a RB. Great form in catching in space and in traffic. This will open up Foles to have a legit dump off option. Similar to how he used McCoy in Philadelphia.

Gurley naturally always looks for the cutback, but tends to try to go outside more than he should. It’s understandable why though, his line wasn’t great and he has a mean stiff arm that he can throw at pursuing defenders. His vision at the end of the day isn’t as high as it could be, but that’s something he can learn.

Gurley has thick, powerful legs that remind me of Steven Jackson’s. It doesn’t take long for him to get up to full speed and when he does, the legs make it very difficult for him to be tackled. He averages over three yards after contact for his career, and it is no surprise why. Rushes up the middle make it impossible for defensive tackles to stand him up.

Gurley has an array of weapons in his disposal. His best features are an avid trucking ability, mean stiff arm, and can even hurdle. The hurdle ability comes from running track for Georgia, as he set records in the hurdle division. Gurley doesn’t spin much, or juke, but he can cut very well for a big man, and has a very quick-thinking ability when doing so. He only had three fumbles in three years.

Todd Gurleys main issue appears to be durability. He was injured in 2013 with ankle and hip troubles, and missed 2014 with the ACL tear. This shouldn’t be too concerning though, running backs do get hurt from time to time. Even Lynch was injured a lot when he was younger.

The scouting reports from analyst are very praising. Fox sports claimed Gurley is completely worth the risk due to his talents he possesses. Todd Mcshay, who hates taking RB’s in the first round, is very high on Gurley, and thinks if used properly, he will be the best in the league. Ian Rapoport reported the Rams took the best player available.

Most of the draft grades are A’s or B’s, but CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco gave the Rams a C+, saying they have no legitimate number one wide receiver. (Personally I think they do, but that is arguable.) Prisco seems to think the Rams should have selected a different position, and who knows, maybe they should have. We won’t know for a while.

There is just so much potential here for Gurley. Love or hate this pick, Fisher finally got someone who can carry the run game all by himself.

Next: UGA's Todd Gurley Selected No 10. Overall By St Louis Rams

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