Jacksonville Jaguars a Real Landing Spot for Running Back Todd Gurley
By Daniel Lago
The 2015 NFL Draft is only a few days away, and analysts are still arguing about who the Jacksonville Jaguars will take with the third overall pick. The focus has generally been on the defensive side of the ball with prognosticators rotating the likes of Leonard Williams, Dante Fowler Jr., and Vic Beasley in and out of that third selection.
There is some undercurrent about the Jaguars possibly taking an offensive weapon to help Blake Bortles in Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper, but there is another player who could have a massive impact on the offensive side of the ball – running back Todd Gurley. As NFL media insider Ian Rapoport reported, the Jaguars are still a potential landing spot for the stud rusher out of Georgia.
Was asked about potential landing spots for Todd Gurley: #Dolphins, #Jags, #Texans are some of them. Houston could add to Arian Foster there
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 27, 2015
The Jaguars didn’t get the type of production they expected out of the running back position when they signed free agent Toby Gerhart last offseason, and the lack of a consistent running game certainly didn’t help rookie quarterback Blake Bortles in what was one of the youngest offenses in the history of the NFL. Denard Robinson flashed some potential in his limited time, but he’s not someone the Jaguars should be counting on to carry the load for the time being. It makes sense for the Jaguars to target a legitimate three down back like Gurley. He’s an explosive playmaker who might be the most talented player in the entire draft, and the devaluation in the draft position of running backs might push him farther down the board than he deserves to be.
One does have to consider the other side of the coin however – Gurley is coming off a torn ACL, only a few drafts after the Cleveland Browns whiffed on the last “sure thing” at running back in Trent Richardson. If Gurley isn’t the type of transcendent talent some believe him to be, it’ll be hard to live up to his draft position in the first round.
So the Jaguars have to decide, how early is too early for Todd Gurley?
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