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St. Louis Rams Draft Report Card: Todd Gurley

By Erik Lambert

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Oct 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) pushes away Green Bay Packers linebacker Nate Palmer (51) in the third quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Fisher is an old school type of coach.  He is has always been a strong believer in the running game and has coached some of the best to come along in the NFL over the years like Eddie George and Chris Johnson.  It’s for that reason that his St. Louis Rams selected Georgia running back Todd Gurley in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft.

Five weeks into the regular season and sitting at 2-3, the time feels right to take a second and give the St. Louis Rams a report card on their decision to make Gurley their top choice.

Stats:

  • 55 carries
  • 314 yards rushing
  • 7 yards per carry
  • 3 catches
  • 20 yards receiving

The unique thing about Gurley from the start was health.  He tore his ACL last season for Georgia and even with optimum rehab wouldn’t be ready to play at the start of the year.  Yet he was taken with the 10th overall pick.  Why?  Talent.  Sheer, uncompromising talent.  Gurley has been hailed as the best running back to come out of college since Adrian Peterson.

Even with the knee concern, the chance to land a player of that caliber was too difficult to pass up.  So the Rams took the gamble.  As expected, he did not play at all in preseason, missed the first two regular season game and managed just nine yards on six attempts when he debuted in week 3.

Then the training wheels came off.

In a pivotal division game against Arizona, Gurley was unleashed.  Against a Cardinals defense known for stopping the run, he trampled them for 146 yards on 19 carries for a whopping 7.7 yards per rush.  He also demonstrated remarkable awareness late in the game for a rookie by making sure to stay inbounds to keep running the clock.

A week later his onslaught continued against the Green Bay Packers with 159 yards on 30 carries.  Most people thought Gurley would be good, but no way did they think it would come this fast.

One can only imagine how much better he’ll get once he gains more experience.

Pick Grade:  B+

The Rams get high marks for not bending to outside pressures and sticking to their guns in the belief Gurley was too good to pass up.  Only the lingering injury concerns and lengthy absence to start the season are what keep this from being a higher grade.

Other Pick Of Note:  Rob Havenstein (OT, 2nd Round)

It’s always a good sign when a team can turn their first two draft picks into immediate starters.  There is no question St. Louis envisioned Wisconsin tackle Rob Havenstein as a potential answer to their problematic right tackle spot.  To his credit the young man plugged right in and has played surprisingly well under the circumstances.  He has yet to surrender a sack and has not committed a single penalty.

Next: Christian Hackenberg Gaining On Jared Goff In Draft Race

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