Former Georgia running back Todd Gurley seemed to be a lock to go in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. Then, a devastating knee injury derailed his 2014 season, putting his draft stock into question. It also didn’t help that Gurley would not let NFL team doctors test out his knee at February’s scouting combine, though that may also have been a result of it being so close to his November surgery.
Because Gurley’s knee did not get examined at the combine, he had to return to Indianapolis this weekend to get the knee re-checked to gauge where he is at in the healing process. With the draft less than two weeks away, this was a critical moment for Gurley. A negative report would cast him into Round 2, while a positive one could lead teams to be more comfortable selecting him with a Round 1 pick.
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Gurley’s re-check, which began on Friday and concluded on Saturday, showed that the knee is “fine” and that he should be “good to go” for the draft.
#Georgia RB Todd Gurley (ACL), who had medical rechecks yesterday & today, checked out fine, source said. Viewed as good to go for the draft
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 18, 2015
Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk also added that Gurley is expected to be ready to be a full participant in this summer’s training camp—team, of course, to be determined.
Gurley totaled 3.285 yards and 36 touchdowns on his 510 collegiate carries, good for 6.4 yards per rush. He rushed 123 times for 911 yards and nine scores before suffering his knee injury six games into the 2014 season. Though selecting running backs in Round 1 of the draft has increasingly fallen out of fashion, Gurley’s ability clearly outweighs the risk associated with the position, even given the torn ACL he has already suffered.
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