2015: The Year of the Running Back
The stars may have aligned for Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens with this years upcoming draft class. If Justin Forsett leaves via free agency (which I think he will), the Ravens will need to find a running back in the draft.
Fortunately, they won’t have to look too hard to find one because the 2015 draft is filled with intriguing prospects at the position.
The 2014 draft brought in possibly the best rookie class of wide receivers in history. These guys came into the NFL and were not only ready to play, but some were ready to excel. Guys like Odell Beckham Jr (the fantasy football game changer), Kelvin Benjamin, Jarvis Landry, Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Jordan Matthews, and Davante Adam, all taken in the 2014 draft, seem to have a bright future in the NFL.
The 2015 draft class is also pretty deep when it comes to wide receivers, but running back will be the premier position coming out of this draft.
This year’s draft is flush with running back talent and the Ravens need to get in on the action. The biggest issue, like all drafts, is selecting the right guy. The top two running backs on most draft boards are Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley.
Gordon had a monster season last year running for the Wisconsin Badgers. He put up video game numbers averaging 7.5 yards per carry and piling up 2,587 yards on the ground.
Todd Gurley out of Georgia likely would have been the top running back selected this year (still could be) if he hadn’t torn his ACL. Gurley has all the talent in the world, a lethal combination of size and speed. I suppose with a name like Gurley, you better be one bad man.
Now if those two alpha dogs aren’t to your liking or you feel that drafting a running back in the first round isn’t pratical anymore, don’t worry! There are a multitude of options who will be available later in the draft, but the pecking order behind Gurley and Gordon gets a bit murky.
There are guys like Boise State’s Jay Ajayi and Miami’s Duke Johnson, who both had superb 2014 seasons running and catching the ball. Or maybe Tevin Coleman out of Indiana is the answer? The running back from the University of Indiana averaged 7.5 yards per carry, just like Gordon. The difference between the two is that there is no doubt Gordon ran behind a better line at Wisconsin.
Those are five guys (mmm burgers) that could be game changers for whoever they suit up for next year, but the list goes on and on. For example, there’s TJ Yeldon, the next big name running back to enter the NFL from Alabama (following the footsteps of Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, and Eddie Lacy).
Ameer Abdullah out of Nebraska may be the most physically gifted running back in this year’s class and really impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl.
Another guy who made a name for himself at the Senior Bowl, was David Johnson out of Northern Iowa. Johnson is a dual threat out of the backfield and will play a factor in the passing game at the next level.
There’s also David Cobb out of Minnesota, a bruiser who is listed at 5’10” and 229 pounds. Let’s not forget about Auburn’s Cameron Artis-Payne. All he did was rush for 1,608 yards to lead the SEC.
Baltimore needs to bring in a running back, and this years draft class is chock-full of them.
Blog submitted by Charlie Stine
