NFL Draft 2015: 8 instant reactions

By Will Osgood | May 4, 2015

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces the number third overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

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May 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher , first round draft pick Todd Gurley and general manager Les Snead pose for a photo after a press conference at Rams Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

Is This The Return of the RB Era?

For a league which has evolved to become such a “passing league”, 22 drafted running backs—including fullbacks—is a pretty solid number. This was not unforeseen. Many analysts believed this was the strongest and deepest running back class in about five years.

Of course it was also the first time a running back was taken in the first-round since the Cleveland Browns took Trent Richardson third overall in a disastrous move in 2012. Teams were scared off by that disaster, until they saw the stud prospect that Georgia’s Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin were.

Both went top-15. Surprisingly T.J. Yeldon went No. 36 overall, while Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah went No. 54 to the Detroit Lions, both as second-round choices. The third-round was even more kind to running backs as three went—Indiana’s Tevin Coleman at No. 73 to the Atlanta Falcons, Miami’s Duke Johnson No. 77 to the Cleveland Browns and David Johnson No. 86 overall to the Arizona Cardinals.

Yet that was still just seven running backs through three rounds. That means 15 were drafted on Day 3 Saturday. And that includes Boise State’s Jay Ajayi, a Day 2 talent who fell because of serious injury question marks.

Next: Those darn Seahawks

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