Pre-Combine NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Melvin Gordon Should Hear His Name Early
By Jim Oxley
Fansided – Andrew Garda
In Andrew Garda’s pre-combine mock draft on Fansided.com, Gordon is again behind Gurley.
Melvin Gordon speaks with a reporter following a record-breaking game against Nebraska – Jim Oxley photograph
In Garda’s mock, Gurley goes number 27 overall to the Cowboys, and the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots select their second Wisconsin running back in as many years, taking Melvin Gordon with the last pick in the first round of the draft.
The Patriots made it through the 2014-15 season with a patchwork assembly of running backs. Shane Vereen is a receiving back, and LeGarrette Blount wasn’t on the roster until late November. Steven Ridley dealt with injuries and Jonas Gray had a 4-touchdown game then was suspended the next week.
No Patriots back totaled 100 carries on the season.
The Super Bowl champs would be able to pair Blount’s thunder with Gordon’s lightning, adding Vereen’s receiving abilities to the mix to feature one of the better backfield combinations in the league.
Next: CBS Sports – Rob Rang
CBS Sports – Rob Rang
Rob Rang of CSBSports.com also has Gordon coming off of the board after Gurley.
Rang projects Gurley at number 27 to the Cowboys, and has Gordon slated at number 29 to the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts are an interesting situation. They sent a first round draft pick to Cleveland for former Alabama running back Trent Richardson in 2013, but that experiment has failed miserably. While Richardson led the team in rushing last year (519 yards), Ahmad Bradshaw was the more productive back when healthy, and Dan Herron moved into the starting role late in the season.
The Colts appear to be parting ways with Richardson, and likely won’t head into the 2015-16 season banking on an oft-injured Bradshaw and second-year Herron.
The other mockers for CBS – Dane Brugler and Pat Kirwan – both left Gordon out of their first rounds. Brugler projects Gurley number 24 to Arizona, while Kirwan has no running backs in his first round.
Next: NFL.com