NFL: 15 Rookies who are future Pro Bowlers

Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams

To me, St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley is the more talented of the two backs who went in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The first hurdle towards any Pro Bowl invite is for him to stay healthy. He needs to be healthy for the first week of the season and keep off the trainer’s table over the next few years.

While I think he can, that knee injury was a serious enough to have me somewhat concerned both short and long term. It’s entirely possible that he won’t be at 100 percent this season – at all –and that would immediately hamper his ability to make a Pro Bowl, certainly the first year.

He’s also got to contend with Tre Mason and if Gurley is hurt at any time this season, Mason has shown he can run the ball effectively enough to cut into Gurley’s carries when he returned. And really, given the injury to Gurley last season, the Rams might just cut the carries between them anyway.

He’s got a few other things in his path as well.

Add to it an offensive line which was awful last season – and might be for some time – and you’ve got a situation where he could be dealing with no blocking for years. The team hopes Rodger Saffold and Greg Robinson will be better this season – Robinson, if nothing else, is a good run blocker – but there’s half the line that we can’t trust.

They added some talent in the draft with both Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown able to step in sometime this year, Havenstein perhaps at right tackle and Brown at guard. That should help, but there is no guarantee with either player.

Gurley may also face some stacked boxes this year, though Nick Foles at quarterback is a big help. Still, the receivers aren’t exciting and teams might focus on the ground game.

As with all the players on this list he has the talent to be a Pro Bowler, but his situation may hold him back this year.

Next: Melvin Gordon, RB, San Diego