Todd Gurley to St. Louis Rams: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The first round of the 2015 NFL draft is underway, and the St. Louis Rams have made their move. With the No. 10 overall pick in the opening round, the Rams select running back Todd Gurley of Georgia. 

It's not a pick analysts or fans expected. The Rams are in desperate of offensive linemen, so going after Stanford's Andrus Peat or Florida State's Cameron Erving seemed more likely. Neither pick would have been a major reach, and both would have filled a major need. 

Second-year running back Tre Mason had an impressive rookie campaign. He picked up 765 yards in just 179 carries, including five total touchdowns. He was expected to be the guy in 2015, but apparently that's not the case.

It's never wise to underestimate head coach Jeff Fisher's obsession with running the football. He wants an elite running team, and this pick proves it. 

Gurley doesn't fill a pressing need, but there's no question he's talented enough to be worthy of the No. 10 pick. 

How Gurley Fits in With the Rams

Considering Gurley's elite talent, college production and draft status, there's no question that the Rams intend on making him the long-term workhorse back. 

In Gurley's first year as a starter in 2012, he carried the load for Georgia and racked up 1,385 yards and 16 touchdowns. He quickly established himself as Georgia's go-to guy on offense. 

According to Chase Goodbread of NFL.com, Gurley suffered an ankle injury in 2013 that forced him to miss three games. Even so, Gurley still pounded away for 989 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also had 441 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions. 

Gurley had another impressive campaign in 2014 with 911 yards and nine touchdowns in just six games, but that monster season was abruptly ended with a knee injury. 

According to ESPN.com, Gurley tore his ACL in early November 2014 against Auburn. He was lost for the season, and the devastating injury nearly killed his lofty draft status. 

Gurley's health issues will be his major concern at the NFL level. Luckily, incumbent backs Mason and Zac Stacy are good enough to carry the load early in the year. The Rams will have the luxury of benching Gurley until he's 100 percent healthy. 

He'll likely see limited action the first half of 2015. As the season rolls on, he'll eventually take over as the workhorse back. That's basically the same strategy St. Louis adapted for Stacy during his rookie year (2013) and for Mason as well. 

Gurley has a rare combination of skills. He has the bulk and power to run between the tackles and break through defenders, yet he has speed to break away and take it to the house. He's similar to Mason, only he's the superior prospect and almost 20 pounds heavier (222 lbs).

If Gurley can maintain his health and return to his pre-injury form, he'll be an elite runner for St. Louis. Fisher is set on building an unstoppable rushing offense, and Gurely has the potential to make that happen. 

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Initial Reaction to Gurley Selection

The Rams entered this draft in need of offensive line help as well as a playmaking receiver. Gurley is a great prospect, but he's neither of those things. 

St. Louis is staying true to its "best player available" mentality. It's a strategy that helped the Rams land rookie Pro Bowler Aaron Donald last year, even though the team had no immediate need for a defensive tackle. 

Gurley has the talent to eventually be a perennial Pro Bowler and one of the best backs in the league. That said, there's serious risk involved with the pick. 

Let's not ignore the fact that running backs have short shelf lives. Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com made an excellent chart demonstrating how backs typically drop off in production after age 27. Gurley will turn 21 before the 2015 season begins. 

Also, who's going to open run lanes for Gurley? The Rams are returning just two starters from a 2014 offensive line that was miserable to begin with. Is St. Louis going to fill three starting spots on the line with mid- to late-round prospects? 

To justify a top-10 pick, Gurley will have to pan out in a big way. 

Out of the top 10 rushers in the NFL last season, only Marshawn Lynch was a first-round pick. Four of them were second-round selections (LeSean McCoy, Le'Veon Bell, Jeremy Hill, Ed Lacy) and the other four were drafted in the third round or later. Arian Foster was an undrafted rookie, and Justin Forsett was a seventh-round selection. 

For Gurley to be worthy of that No. 10 pick, he'll have to show that he's above the many productive backs drafted in the second round or later. Becoming the next Bell or Lacy will simply not suffice. 

Gurley needs to become a household name. He needs to be mentioned in the same breath as Adrian Peterson and Lynch. Anything less will simply be a disappointment. 

Hopefully he's up for that challenge. If not, it won't take long for the criticism to begin. 

Steven Gerwel is the longest-tenured Rams Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and served as the Rams' game-day correspondent in 2014. You can find more of Gerwel's work by visiting his writer profile or following him on Twitter.