Melvin Gordon: Latest News, Rumors and Speculation on RB's NFL Draft Stock

The last two years have seen a running back fail to be selected in the first round—the first two such instances in history. Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon is seen by most as the likeliest player to break that streak in April.

Continue for updates on his draft stock.   

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Gordon Reportedly a Lock for 1st Round

Monday, April 27

Gordon's former high school coach, Jed Kennedy, revealed that he's heard from multiple people who confirmed they will select Gordon if he's available at their pick in Round 1. Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel passed along Kennedy's comments:

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Kennedy would be “surprised” if Gordon’s name wasn’t called in the first round judging by his conversations with NFL teams.

“I’ve had about four people tell me that if he’s available at their pick, that’s who they’re going to take,” said Kennedy, who now coaches at Brookfield Central. “Melvin’s not cocky, he doesn’t get caught up in the other stuff, he just keeps doing his thing and hopefully lets his actions speak for it. And when it’s all said and done, he’s going to be a first-round kid.”

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Mel Kiper Weighs in on Gordon's Draft Stock

Tuesday, April 21 

Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette provided ESPN's Mel Kiper's take on Gordon's draft stock and what it says about the running back position in general:

Chris Simms of Bleacher Report weighed in as well on Gordon's draft stock:

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Gordon to Meet with Dolphins, Browns

Tuesday, April 14

Gordon is set to visit the Miami Dolphins on April 22, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport also reported that Gordon will visit the Cleveland Browns on Friday.

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Cowboys Beat Writer Highlights Gordon on Team's Big Board

Wednesday, April 8

Hill broke down the Cowboys' big board and highlighted Gordon as one of the top names to watch:

On March 17, Yahoo Sports' Rand Getlin reported that Gordon planned to meet with Dallas.

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Simms: Gordon Could Be Strong Option for Cardinals

Tuesday, March 24

Simms weighed in on some potential draft options for the Arizona Cardinals, including how Gordon would fit into their offense:

On March 17, Getlin reported that Gordon was meeting with the Cardinals. He added, "Lot of talk about Adrian Peterson. Gordon a younger, cheaper option."

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Gordon Scheduled to Visit Ravens

Wednesday, March 18

Getlin reported that Gordon will visit the Baltimore Ravens ahead of the draft. Luke Jones of WNST.net noted that Ravens running back coach Thomas Hammock previously coached Gordon at Wisconsin.

Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun noted that the Ravens were looking to draft a running back even before Bernard Pierce's release, but with the 23-year-old getting cut, the team is even more likely to take a long look at drafting a rusher.

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Simms: Gordon a Fit for Lions

Tuesday, March 17

Simms explained why Gordon could be a logical target for the Detroit Lions in the draft:

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Jaguars Set Up Visits with Gordon

Tuesday, March 17

Getlin reported that Gordon planned to meet with the Jacksonville Jaguars:

Gordon and Georgia's Todd Gurley are possibly the two best running backs in this class. The Wisconsin product ran for an NCAA-high 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns during his junior season, narrowly missing out on breaking Barry Sanders' single-season yardage record. For his career, Gordon rushed for 4,915 yards and 45 touchdowns while averaging 7.8 yards per carry.      

The Cowboys and the Cardinals are perhaps the most running back-needy teams in Gordon's general draft range. Dallas lost the NFL's leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, to the division-rival Eagles and have only signed the oft-injured Darren McFadden as a replacement. Arizona averaged 3.3 yards per carry as a team in 2014, with Andre Ellington struggling to take a full-time role before going out with a season-ending injury.

ESPN's Todd McShay currently ranks Gordon as the No. 23 overall prospect in this class, second among running backs behind Gurley. A running back has not gone in the first round since three did so in 2012. Two of those players (Trent Richardson and David Wilson) are currently without NFL teams, while the third (Doug Martin) has rushed for less than 1,000 yards over the last two seasons after a strong rookie campaign.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.