Todd Gurley Living Up to Hype After First Breakout Game

Todd Gurley was the most talented player in the 2015 NFL draft.

He may have fallen to the St. Louis Rams at the 10th overall pick, but when solely considering ability, Gurley was the best player available. Character concerns are often what causes a talented player to fall, but that wasn't the case with Gurley.

Instead, Gurley had question marks over his positional value and his health. The running back, who excelled at Georgia, was coming off a torn ACL during the draft process. His rehab stretched into the preseason, preventing Gurley from getting onto the field.

The Rams were patient with their top pick. He took part in individual drills before being cleared to partake in team activities. Contact wasn't immediately permitted, but he was gradually upgraded to that level.

It took Gurley until Week 3 of the regular season to see the field during an actual game. He endured a frustrating, quiet debut, as he carried the ball just six times for nine yards. It was a performance that didn't deter his head coach, though.

Jeff Fisher drew ire for his comments about Gurley's performance after that game.

Via Tom Pelissero, Fisher said that Gurley ran "very well" and that it could have been "six carries for 79 yards." That kind of comment from a coach with Fisher's reputation for sustained mediocrity painted a poor picture.

However, it was an accurate picture. Gurley was close to breaking off big gains on a couple of his touches during his debut. Some illogical decisions from individual blockers were the difference between finding space and being bottled up by the defense.

It wouldn't take long for Fisher's words to prove prophetic, though.

Gurley got his first full workload in Week 4. He carried the ball four times for just two yards in the first half but finished the game with 19 carries for 146 yards. He could, and arguably should, have had dramatically more yards, but chose to stay in bounds twice late in the game to unselfishly help seal his team's victory.

Even while curtailing his gains late on, Gurley still posted runs of 23, 12, 52, 20 and 30 yards in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have a strong all-around defense that mixes disciplined power up front and explosiveness in the back seven.

For Gurley, that didn't prove to be an obstacle as much as it was an opportunity to highlight his skill set.

His special skill set.

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