Todd Gurley was a bit of a surprise pick for the St. Louis Rams with the 11th overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. He was a superstar during his college career with the Georgia Bulldogs, and there are very high expectations for him as he gets ready to begin his NFL career.
At this point in time, it is unknown when Gurley will make his NFL debut as he is still recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered last season. He looks to be on track to get on-the-field fairly early on during the regular season. Having a running back like Gurley will help make the Rams a legitimate playoff
St. Louis is without question one of the most underrated teams heading into the 2015 season. Jeff Fisher has been going through a rebuilding process with the Rams, but they are ready to break out from the "rebuilding" term and become a contender for a change.
It has been quite some time since the Rams were viewed as a team that could compete in a very tough NFC for a playoff spot.
Nick Foles was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this offseason, which was one of the most underrated moves of the offseason. St. Louis hasn't been able to say that they have a long-term option at quarterback for quite some time, but Foles can change that immediately. Just two short years ago he was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and he is more than capable of getting back to that type of production.
Being able to pair a quarterback like Foles with a running back like Gurley will force defenses to pick their own poison. Gurley has the talent to become one of the top running backs in the NFL in the next couple of years, but is already capable of being a 100-yard threat each and every week.
Coming out of college throughout the NFL Draft process, Gurley was compared to two of the NFL's best current running backs. He was compared to either Adrian Peterson or Marshawn Lynch, which is a very favorable comparison either way.
Every single Super Bowl contending team has to have a balance of a passing game and running game. A prime example of that is Andrew Luck with the Indianapolis Colts last season against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. Indianapolis went out and signed Frank Gore in free agency to give Luck a legitimate running back, while the Rams did the same thing by bringing Gurley on board.
Comparing the Rams' offense to the Colts' offense isn't exactly accurate, but they certainly are going to look a lot better than many are expecting.
Fisher is one of the league's most underrated coaches as well, and is one of the best at motivating his players and putting them in the best position for them to succeed. Once Gurley is back to full health, he will be asked to step in immediately and become an every down back for the Rams.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers Gurley is able to finish his rookie season with. Assuming his recovery continues moving as quickly as it has been lately, there is no question that he will be on-the-field early on this season. If he does get back with the Rams as early as many are expecting, there is nothing holding him back from winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Expect to see Gurley make a major impact immediately, and be a huge difference maker for the Rams in a season where they should compete for a playoff spot. They may not end up making it into the postseason, but they aren't going to be a pushover like they have been in recent years.
