A Healthy Todd Gurley Is Runaway Favorite to Become 2015 NFL Rookie of the Year

The premise seemed simple enough: Due to the devaluation of the running back position and the depth of the 2015 draft class, any team that selected a running back in the first round of this year's draft made a major mistake.  

At least, this became part of the rationale I used in June when I railed against the St. Louis Rams' selection of Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley with the 10th overall pick in this year's NFL draft. 

Nearly five months later, I couldn't have been more wrong as chants of "Gurley! Gurley! Gurley!" echoed throughout the Edward Jones Dome. 

Certain talents simply supersede sound logic. Gurley is already playing at an elite level through his first three starts and proved to be the exception to the rule. 

As a result, the Rams' running back quickly worked his way into the conversation and eventually began making a case as a Rookie of the Year candidate. After his monster performance against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Gurley has even surpassed those who have played the entire season. 

The Baltimore native owns a rare combination of size, speed, athleticism and a natural ability to play football. This was never in question.

Two other concerns followed Gurley beyond his draft status—the position he played and the talent of his contemporaries. 

First, the running back is less than a year removed from major reconstructive surgery after he tore the ACL in his left knee during a Nov. 15 contest against the Auburn Tigers. His recovery has been remarkable.

Prior to the start of the season, doctors cleared Gurley for full contact, but the Rams decided to slow-play his return to the gridiron and ease him into the lineup. The rookie didn't even see the field until Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

At the time, Gurley didn't exactly burst onto the scene. The first-round runner only carried the ball six times for nine yards in his debut. 

Things didn't go much better for the Rams running back in the first half of the following week's game against the Arizona Cardinals. In the fourth quarter, however, Gurley exploded against the one of the league's better defenses and ultimately ran for 146 yards to close out the Cardinals in the Rams' 24-22 win. 

He hasn't looked back. 

Part of the Gurley's success extends to the Rams' offensive line and its ability to open holes. An inexperienced line was a major concern entering the season, particularly since the entire right side is also comprised of rookies. 

It was difficult to imagine Gurley—no matter how talented of a player he is—carrying an entire offense with questions at quarterback, the skill positions and along the line. 

He's been that player and more once since becoming the focal point of the offense. 

In his initial three starts, the rookie ran for at least 128 yards each time, which makes him arguably the league's most electric first-year player. In fact, Gurley finished 12 yards short of becoming the only rookie other than Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson to run for 140 or more yards in three straight contests. 

"Keep it up," Dickerson told Gurley after Sunday's contest against the Cleveland Browns, according to St. Louis Rams Director of External Football Affairs Kyle Eversgerd. 

The running back just oozes talent whenever he's on the field. 

Against the Browns, Gurley ran for 128 yards on only 19 carries. He also caught four passes for 35 yards. More importantly, the rookie scored twice to register his first career touchdowns. His talent was clearly on display during those runs. 

CBS Sports' Dane Brugler provided highlights of the second touchdown romp: 

As Brugler noted, the entire package was on display during the scoring play: speed to get to the outside, a decisive cut to get downhill, the suddeness to run past defenders near the line of scrimmage and the strength to easily shed arm tackles. 

"He's special," Rams quarterback Nick Foles said after the game, per StLouisRams.com's Myles Simmons. "There aren’t too many people who can run like that.”

The Browns and their 32nd-ranked run defense were in position to at least slow Gurley throughout the contest, but the rookie's ability to run through contact trumped any type of scheme thrown at him. 

While Gurley's 128 yards Sunday was his lowest rushing total in the month of October, his ability to run through contact made him nearly unstoppable, per ESPN Stats & Info: 

The Rams built their entire identity this offseason around a strong run game that would eventually feature Gurley, and this year's 10th overall pick hasn't disappointed. 

Meanwhile in San Diego, the same can't be said for Chargers running back Melvin Gordon. Gordon, like Gurley, was drafted in the first round. 

Ironically, all the concerns originally placed on Gurley have marred Gordon's first year. While the Rams running back became the exception to the rule, Gordon showed exactly why no running back outside of Gurley should have been selected in the opening frame of April's draft. 

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Gordon dealt with an ankle injury this week, putting his status for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders into question. Though the Wisconsin product  wound up playing, he wasn't a large part of the Chargers' game plan, only running the ball seven times for 29 yards. 

While Gordon tries to find his footing this season, he's already showed he can't carry San Diego's offense like Gurley has for the Rams. Injuries ravaged the Chargers' offensive line. As a result, the rookie averaged less than four yards per carry in four of the team's seven games this year. 

He also hasn't been an every-down performer. Gordon often comes off the field on third down as he tries to pick up the nuances of the passing game, particularly blocking. He's struggled with fumbles as well. 

Similar performances can be found from the Washington Redskins' third-round pick, Matt Jones, and the Seattle Seahawks' Thomas Rawls. 

Each of these first-year backs can produce within their team's system, but they're not making everyone around them better. The same can't be said for Gurley. 

Player	Teams	Carries	Yards	YPC	Touchdowns
Todd Gurley	Rams	74	442	6.0	2
Melvin Gordon	Chargers	85	328	3.9	0
T.J. Yeldon	Jaguars	101	406	4.0	1
Ameer Abdullah	Lions	62	222	3.6	1
Tevin Coleman	Falcons	38	169	4.4	1

Overall, this year's group of rookie running backs is perhaps deepest and best running back class in the past 10 years. Twelve different rookie runners have already made significant contributions to their respective teams. 

Gurley easily leads the pack, though. 

But how does the Rams' feature back stack up against the rest of the rookie class?

In order to eventually be named the NFL Rookie of the Year, Gurley will have stiff competition from three fellow offensive threats also selected in the first round. 

Quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were selected No. 1 and 2 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans, respectively. Both have played like rookies at times, but each has looked outstanding in stretches, too. 

Mariota is currently dealing with an MCL spain, but he's been calm, cool and collected as a Day 1 starter. Through Week 7, the native Hawaiian has completed 64 percent of his passes with a respectable 9-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. 

Winston, meanwhile, is coming off his best performance of the year against the Washington Redskins. Despite the fact the Buccaneers completely fell apart late in the game, Winston completed 72.4 percent of his passes for a new career high of 297 yards and a pair of touchdown tosses.

Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Those quarterbacks are talented, but the biggest contender for the rookie of the year crown will be Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper. From the day he stepped onto the field, Cooper has been a handful for NFL defenders. His combination of speed and refinement in his route running makes him nearly impossible to cover. He currently leads all rookies with 33 receptions for 519 yards. 

Gurley's raw ability to take over games, though, and the Rams' willingness to ride him throughout the rest of the season should place him in position to win the award with ease, particularly if the Rams can remain competitive in the NFC West and eventually claim a playoff spot. 

Right now, Gurley isn't simply the league's best rookie. He's also quickly rising among the league's best running backs. And his ability to dominate games completely outweighs any concerns about him and his status with the Rams prior to the regular season. 

The right running back still holds first-round value if he's talented enough. This year's class might be deep, but they're all striving to become as successful as Gurley has been in recent weeks. 

In today's NFL, the decision to draft a running back in the first round might not be viewed as wise, but Gurley has already showed he's truly a rare talent. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.