Todd Gurley RB Georgia #3
Wt: 231
[level-scouting-reports]
Size/Athleticism: Impressive size. Added weight during his career and has tuned into a bruising downhill runner. Former track star.
Vision: Adequate vision, but he misses opportunities bounce runs to the outside in favor of pounding it up the middle too often. He plays like he loves contact, and turns down opportunities for easy yardage in favor of trying to knock out a defender (which sometimes works due to his strength, but adds to the wear and tear on his body).
Power: A true downhill runner. Looks for contact. Rarely goes down on first contact.
Speed/Agility: Straight-line speed is adequate, but not enough to run away from defensive backs consistently. Balance could be improved. He runs high and doesn’t have the fluid hips and ankles to make defenders whiff in the open field. Quick feet when moving through traffic near the line of scrimmage, but just doesn’t have the fluid athleticism to make those adjustments when moving close to full speed.
Passing Game: Plenty of experience as a receiver out of the backfield (65 career receptions). Shows reliables hands and can even reel in some acrobatic receptions. Strong enough to be an asset in pass protection but still developing technique.
Intangibles: Suspended for four games in 2014 for taking money for autographs.
Durability: Serious durability concerns due to ankle, knee, hip and thigh injuries. Missed time with an ankle injury early in 2013 season, which never fully healed and was still bothering him during 2014 offseason. Also played through a thigh injury in 2013. Suffered torn ACL (left knee) in November, 2014 and missed remainder of season.
[/level-scouting-reports]
Overview: Gurley is a powerful downhill runner with a long history of injuries, casting serious doubt on his NFL future. His quickness and agility are already an area of slight concern, so his recent ACL injury is definitely reason for teams to question his ability to excel at the next level. While he obviously has workhorse potential, I would be nervous about spending a high pick on a runner with his skill set and injury history.
Gain weight? The guy is 233 lbs. of muscle. Tree trunk from the waist down. Vision and physicality are two of his biggest assets.
You’re kidding me. The most accomplished running back in the NCAA needs to work on patience and focus, along with adding weight? Utter tripe.