2015 NFL Mock Draft: Baltimore Ravens Select RB Todd Gurley at No. 26

With the No. 26 pick in the DBN 2015 NFL Mock Draft, the Baltimore Ravens select...

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

The selection and write-up were made by unoservix:

I was originally targeting some wide receivers for the Ravens to address the departed Torrey Smith and the thin depth behind the ageless Steve Smith Sr. and Marlon Brown, but the only WRs I consider worth the 26th overall pick are already off the board. With the Ravens' preferred philosophy of drafting the best player available, I'm leery of reaching for anyone. Moreover, the Ravens have ten picks in this year's draft, so if there's anyone else that Ozzie Newsome particularly covets, he has plenty of ammunition to move up later on.

Thus, Todd Gurley is probably the best remaining player on the board, and the Ravens take him with the 26th pick. He possesses the speed and power to be a successful NFL running back. His biggest concern is that torn ACL, but the most recent check suggested he's recovered well and might be ready for training camp. Furthermore, the Ravens have the luxury of already having a quality RB as they wait for Gurley to fully recover and get settled. The Ravens got excellent production from Justin Forsett in 2014, and as a team they were good for eighth in the NFL in rushing, so they are not exactly hurting for a running game. If they can come close to those levels of production in 2015, they won't need Gurley immediately. If Forsett comes back to earth, however, then Gurley will probably see more carries, especially since Forsett turns 30 in October. Assuming Gurley can regain his pre-injury form, the Ravens should have a Marshawn Lynch-esque player to look forward to.

Last year, the Ravens reportedly wanted to take RB Terrance West before the Browns moved in front of them. Instead, they took RB Lorenzo Taliaferro. Little did they know that RB Ray Rice would be cut and veteran RB Justin Forsett would break out for an outstanding season. This offseason, RB Bernard Pierce got the boot. Despite how good Forsett was last year, I like this pick for Baltimore: Forsett is up there in years, and even though he was fresh last year, there's no guarantee he won't hit a wall in year two. Even if Forsett remains productive, teams often have a good one-two punch at running back these days.

The Dallas Cowboys are up next, led by Twilightcall06.

2015 DBN Community Mock Draft Results (so far)