Todd Gurley, Leonard Floyd land on latest Mel Kiper big board

The 2015 NFL Draft isn’t at the top of the priority list for any Georgia Bulldogs fan at the moment, especially in the wake of a disappointing loss last Saturday. However, both running back Todd Gurley and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd are drawing rave reviews for their NFL talent, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper has anointed both players with top-25 rankings on his latest “big board” ($).

Here is what Kiper had to say about Gurley’s current NFL Draft prospects, while ranking him at number 16:

"I rank Gurley higher than he’ll probably ever be drafted given the way the NFL values running backs, but (A) you never know, and (B) he’s a powerful runner with second-level speed that’s impressive for a man his size. When Gurley gets into space, he can run away from defenders even though he’s carrying 230-plus pounds. What he doesn’t do is avoid contact consistently, which raises durability concerns that will certainly play into his draft stock."

The fact that Todd Gurley was prominently featured by Kiper (or really, any NFL Draft pundit) isn’t a surprise, but ESPN’s draft guru threw everyone a curve ball by elevating Leonard Floyd to his top ten. Here is the snippet on Floyd, who came in at number nine:

"A green but talented young player, he can blow away blockers with his first step and overall athleticism, but he’s also undersized, and evaluators will key on his ability to hold up and play with leverage. He profiles as a 3-4 outside linebacker with the ability to both rush the passer and drop into space and cover. Not a finished product."

Floyd’s meteoric rise shouldn’t be a full-fledged surprise given his raw talent, but I am positive that the Bulldog Nation would love for the talented pass-rusher to remain on campus for at least one more season, given that Floyd is currently a redshirt sophomore. Still, it is tough to imagine any player spurning the NFL if Kiper’s projection of his professional value is in the ballpark of reality.

What do you think of Kiper’s thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!