Dallas Cowboys: Todd Gurley could be a 1st round fit

By Stephen Forsha | Mar 19, 2015

Since the Dallas Cowboys worked on their pass rush on Wednesday by signing free agent defensive end Greg Hardy to a contract, the Cowboys might look elsewhere when it comes to their 27th overall selection of the 2015 NFL Draft.

The Cowboys could still draft a pass rusher of some sort in the first round, but now they have the option to look toward possibly drafting a running back in the first round, if Todd Gurley of the University of Georgia is still available at the spot of the first round.

Oct 4, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley (86) and running back Todd Gurley (3) shown on the field prior to the game against the the Vanderbilt Commodores at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Vanderbilt 44-17. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Most likely Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon will be off the board in the first round by the time the Cowboys make their selection, but also, if they really want Gurley in this draft, the Cowboys might be in competition with the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, who are also in the market for a running back.

My guess is if the Cowboys are wanting to have Gurley on their roster to help replace DeMarco Murray this season with Darren McFadden, they will have to move up ahead of the Arizona Cardinals in the first round.

Gurley is currently ranked as the No. 1 running back in this draft by CBSSports.com, but he did tear his ACL this past season with the Bulldogs, so that might affect his draft stock as the top back ahead of Gordon.

I can say this with all certainty … if he was not coming off this ACL injury, Gurley would be a Top 10 talent in this draft. Gurley still has the ability to be a Top 10 draft talent, but a lot of it will all come back to how he has healed from this injury.

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The 6-1, 222-pound junior didn’t run at the combine, but did bench press 225 pounds 17 times in February’s combine in Indianapolis.

Rob Rang of CBSSports.com wrote how the Cardinals are interested in a running back, while Dan Burgler, also of CBS Sports mentioned on Gurley’s draft page that the San Diego Chargers could go after a RB at 17th overall.

It is safe to assume the 2015 NFL Draft will have a running back selected in the first round, unlike last season when the first RB was selected in the second round.

Back to Rang and the draft profile of Gurley on CBSSports.com, according to Rang, he believes the ACL is a “red flag.”

"“Rang wrote: Torn ACL in November of 2014 a big red flag that will cause pause for NFL teams with a timetable for return around mid-August. Also missed three games in 2013 due to an ankle injury, so durability concerns are significant, especially considering the physical punishment he has absorbed in the SEC over the past three seasons.”"

Even with that said, Rang compares Gurley to Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch.

As for Rang’s durability … it does cause me some concern, especially with a first-round choice. But Adrian Peterson had injury concerns coming out of the collegiate levels, and he’s done just fine in the NFL, so I really can’t let those concerns bother me too much.

Looking at the production of Gurley while at the University of Georgia, he was a very solid and great player.

This past season, Gurley rushed for 911 yards in limited play, and the season before he had 989 yards, also in limited play. His freshman year in 2012, Gurley had 22 carries for 1,385 yards and 17 touchdowns. That first season of collegiate football, Gurley averaged 6.2 yards per carry.

In ’14 as a junior, Gurley scored nine touchdowns on 123 carries. He averaged 7.4 yards per carry before tearing his ACL. Gurley also had 12 receptions last season.

With the 2015 NFL Draft less than two months away, Gurley has been making visits to various teams, including one soon with the Panthers, who are slated to have the 25th selection.

Mike Huguenin a College Football 24/7 writer on NFL.com wrote the following about the Panthers and Gurley:

"“The question is whether Gurley, who despite coming off an ACL injury is considered the best running back available, would be the best available pick for the Panthers, who select 25th in the first round.”"

So with more than a few teams interested in selecting Gurley in this draft, most likely the Cowboys will be forced to trade up in the draft, but would it be worth it?

I don’t believe so because the Cowboys can continue to add to their defense in the first round, and there will still be plenty of quality running backs on the board in the second round.

Don’t get me wrong, Gurley will be a difference maker in the NFL if he’s healthy, but if the Cowboys would have to give up a lot to move up to take him in the first round, I’m just not sure if that is worth the overall risk.

Thoughts? How much would you give up to move forward in the draft to select Gurley if you were in charge of the Cowboys?

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