Melvin Gordon to Declare for 2015 NFL Draft: Latest Details and Reaction

Melvin Gordon is going to capitalize on his incredible junior season.

The Wisconsin Badgers running back confirmed Wednesday on The Dan Patrick Show he will declare for the 2015 NFL draft following the season.    

The show's producer, Paul Pabst, shared the exchange on Twitter:

Gordon leads the nation this season in both rushing yards (2,336) and rushing touchdowns (26). He broke Larry Johnson's record for fewest carries before hitting 2,000, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Gordon also set the FBS record for rushing yards in a game, going for 408 against Nebraska on Nov. 15 in only three quarters. His mark lasted all of a week, with Oklahoma's Samaje Perine running for 427 yards against Kansas.

The numbers are even more impressive when you consider how ineffective Wisconsin's passing game was all season. Despite teams loading the box to try to stop him, Gordon still managed to be arguably the best running back in college football.

Being the best college ball-carrier isn't necessarily a guarantee of success in the NFL, however. For every Adrian Peterson, Ricky Williams and Mark Ingram, there's a Trent Richardson, Ron Dayne and Darren McFadden.

CBSSports.com and ESPN.com (subscription required) both list Gordon as the top running back in the 2015 draft class. Bleacher Report's NFL draft analyst Matt Miller was a little more hesitant to put Gordon at the top of the draft board.

Miller provided a more detailed analysis of Gordon following the player's historic night against Nebraska. He praised Gordon's vision and ability to break through the first wave of attackers but believes Gordon lacks the acceleration to break away from defenders and could be propped up by a historically strong program when it comes to running the football.

NFL general managers are coming to value running backs less and less when it comes to the draft. LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Andre Ellington and DeMarco Murray all went in the second round or later.

Even if Gordon is viewed as the top running back in 2015, he may not come off the board until at least the second round.

But the Wisconsin star will have plenty of time in the coming months to prove that he's worth a first-round selection. His next stop is the Outback Bowl against Auburn on New Year's Day.