Rams running back Todd Gurley, despite an injured knee, was a good enough draft prospect to be the No. 10 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.
LSU's Leonard Fournette? He's an even better prospect than Gurley, at least for two scouts.
After Fournette's announcement Monday that he will apply for early eligibility to enter the 2017 NFL Draft, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport spoke to two high-level evaluators who said they prefer Fournette to Gurley. Gurley was the Offensive Rookie of the Year last year, rushing for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns in only 13 games, but he hasn't been nearly as productive in his second year as a pro.
The praise heaped upon Fournette (6-foot-1, 230 pounds, per school measurements) as a draft prospect has been effusive. With the power and strength to break tackles at the line of scrimmage and the speed to break away for long touchdown runs, the Tigers junior has been compared to Bo Jackson. NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt identified Fournette as a player with first-pick talent as early as September of his sophomore season in 2015.
An ankle injury limited Fournette this season, as he missed four games and parts of others while playing through an injury suffered in August and aggravated throughout the year. Despite that, he rushed for 843 yards on 129 carries this year in seven games.
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