Will Los Angeles Rams’ Todd Gurley Win Rookie of the Year?

Tonight on the NFL Honors Show, we find out who the league MVP, who the offensive player of the year is, as well as who will make the Hall of Fame. One of the awards that all Los Angeles Rams fans will have their eye on will be the NFL’s Rookie of the Year.

Drafted 10th overall by the Rams, Todd Gurley had a rookie season to remember. The running back finished with 1,106 rushing yards, joining Eric Dickerson and Jerome Bettis as the only Rams rushers to reach 1,000 rushing yards as rookies. He was also first among all rookies in yards from scrimmage with 1,294, second in total touchdowns with 10, and first in 100-yard games with five.

As if that wasn’t enough to make his rookie season one to remember, he also became the first rookie in NFL history to rush for 125 or more yards in four consecutive games. Not to mention his 566 yards in his first four starts set an NFL record. To cap it all off, Gurley earned a spot in the Pro Bowl where he scored a touchdown.

There is no doubt Todd Gurley is a favorite to win the award. He already won the Pro Football Writers of America rookie of the year.

While he is a favorite, that doesn’t mean there won’t be competition. Wide receiver Amari Cooper will be up for consideration as well as quarterback Jameis Winston. Both players had huge impacts on their team.

Cooper changed everything for Derek Carr and the Raiders and was the most consistent rookie from the beginning of the season to the end. The tandem of Carr and Cooper will be a dangerous one for years to come.

The rookie became the Raiders’ first 1,000-yard receiver since 2005 as he had 72 receptions for 1,070 yards. He showed what the impact of having a number one receiver can have on a team as the Raiders became respectable once again, largely because of Cooper.

While Cooper will pose a threat for the award, the toughest competition will be Winston. His impact on the Buccaneers could be seen from the moment he stepped on the field. His leadership and command of the offense could be seen from day one.

The last two years, the award has been won by non-quarterbacks, however, Winston is very comparable to those who have. The rookie quarterback set a record for touchdown passes by a rookie and came up just nine yards short of Cam Newton‘s rookie passing record.

What Todd Gurley did in 12 games is ridiculous and his impact was shown from day one. The Rams were 1-3 without their star running back and were 4-1 when Gurley had over 100 yards, the only loss coming to the Packers when Nick Foles threw four interceptions.

To come off of a torn ACL and do that is ridiculous beyond belief. However, where Gurley may fall in the voting is in the Rams’ win column. Last year the Rams finished 6-10 improving just one win to 7-9 this year.

Meanwhile, the Raiders and Buccaneers both improved four wins. Impact is usually seen in the win column and the fact of the matter is, the addition of Gurley only added one win on this Rams team.

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While that is one downfall, it is probably his only downfall. In limited work, Gurley proved why the Rams took a hurt running back 10th overall. He was one of the most prolific runners last season making the Rams an exciting team to watch.

Saturday night, Todd Gurley should walk away with the NFL’s rookie of the year award. The NFL rookie of the year will be announced on the NFL Honors show on NFL Network Saturday night at 9PM ET.