Georgia RB Todd Gurley Still a First Rounder Despite Injury

Nov 15, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley (3) is checked by the medical staff after being injured against the Auburn Tigers during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Auburn 34-7. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Someday, Georgia running back Todd Gurley might speak his mind about the NCAA, and people aren’t going to like it, but he’s probably going to be right. If anyone has reason to hate the NCAA, it’s Gurley, who was punished amidst what amounts to be a contract year in his college football career, and rightfully so.

Gurley was and should have been punished for breaking written rules, ones that he knew about, but that doesn’t mean the rules were right. One game and another big performance back from the suspension, Gurley tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of Georgia’s recent win over the Auburn Tigers, proving that the NCAA needs to change its policies and rules to protect the players that make it so much money during the college football season.

Gurley is a prime example of that, making money off his own name and likeness and being punished for it while the NCAA and Georgia can sell jerseys by the thousand with his number on it, and can sell TV airtime and strike up major contracts with big networks because of players like Gurley who literally risk their well-being for a scholarship.

And now, Gurley faces an even more daunting uphill climb, having to battle back from ACL surgery while convincing some NFL team that he is going to be OK, that he can contribute in about a year, and that he’ll be bigger, faster, and stronger than the player they saw dominating everyone else this past season.

Incredibly, Gurley will finish his collegiate career with just one season with over 1,000 yards (2012). Incredibly, this season ended with only nine touchdown runs for the star tailback. And incredibly, I think he’ll still manage to be a first round pick despite the ACL injury that is now a major asterisk next to his name in NFL evaluations.

Gurley is a punishing back with explosiveness, elusiveness, speed, and third down abilities. To me, he was the most complete back I scouted and reminds me of an even faster version of Marshawn Lynch.

If you have read my stuff all this year, you know how high I am on Gurley and that I’m on record as saying that I would buck the trend of recent years where running backs haven’t been picked in the first round, and I would use a top 10 pick on this kid — despite his off-field issues.

Gurley now has a major injury to deal with as well as some off-field concerns that might have teams pushing him down boards, but when you start looking at some of the teams in the NFL today, I think you are going to see a pretty prominent trend toward the running game becoming more and more prominent, and running backs once again more and more valuable.

Gurley is no exception to that, but what he is going to battle is a deep class at his position, despite the demand for guys who can do what he can do. NFL teams already loved Gurley from what they saw on the field, but I do think this injury will push him down a bit (see: McGahee, Willis).

Heck, Gurley might not even play in 2015 but for a team with great depth, it could be worth the risk. It should be.