Why Todd Gurley is (Currently) Your Rookie of the Year

(Written on 11/1/15)

When the St. Louis Rams sent shockwaves across the NFL by drafting Georgia tailback Todd Gurley with the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft this past April, just a few months removed from a torn ACL, very few could have foreseen the 21 year old’s early success. “I definitely was excited when they took me at No. 10,” Gurley told the LA Times. “I was kind of shocked.”

Continuing that them of being shocked, let me break down Gurley’s stats through four games. The obvious stat of 442 yards is mind boggling considering that Gurley has toted the rock only 74 times for a 6 yard average (first amongst all rookies), second in the NFL behind Ryan Matthews despite carrying the ball 18 more times. He is also the first rookie since 2005 to run for at least 125 yards in each of first three starts (Tampa Bay’sCadillac Williams last accomplished the feat). Pro Football Focus also listed a multitude of impressive numbers: against the Packers and Cardinals, between 43 and 48 percent of Gurley’s yards came after contact, while a whopping 86.7 percent were churned out against the Browns. PFF also highlights Gurley’s 11 broken tackles against the Browns on only 19 carries; he is fourth among all running backs in broken tackles.

He is also averaging 3.5 yards after first contact, third in the NFL. When running to the right, where the Rams have rookies starting at right guard and right tackle, Gurley has carried the ball 10 times for 95 yards, another impressive stat coupled with the fact that when the Rams are down by 9-16 points, he has carried the ball 23 times for 133 yards (5.8 avg), thus signaling the trust St. Louis has in the rookie. Gurley is also nearly averaging a first down on 1st and 6+, running for 339 yards on 47 carries (7.2 yards). The numbers Oakland Raiders’ receiver Amari Cooper have posted are equally impressive as his impact cannot be overlooked. Considering Gurley’s impact on a team with an average passing and a young, unproven offensive line, he deserves the top vote.