Dallas Cowboys Draft Todd Gurley-Like RB in First Round of NFL Mock

The Dallas Cowboys have a host of needs entering the draft, and in NFL.com's latest mock, the franchise selects a running back who is likened to former Los Angeles Rams star Todd Gurley.

Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks (24) celebrates after he runs into the end zone for a / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman

The Dallas Cowboys' list of needs entering the NFL Draft is longer than fans would have hoped for due to the sheer number of outgoings in free agency.

As such, Dallas has a list of needs that is headlined by offensive line and running back, just to name a few. With Dak Prescott not having a consistent run game with Tony Pollard as the lead horse last season, he was "allowed" to leave via free agency, signing with the Tennessee Titans.

Rico Dowdle is the default RB1 right now, with Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Hunter Luepke as the backups. But at a time when the offensive line is perhaps top of the wish list for the franchise as Prescott enters a lame-duck year, could Dallas go against adding protection and get Dak a running back in the first round?

NFL.com's Chad Reuter thinks so and has Texas Longhorns star Jonathon Brooks heading to The Star.

"Brooks' story (and game) reminds me of Todd Gurley, who suffered an ACL injury in November of his final season at Georgia and wound up a top-10 pick the following April," Reuter wrote. "Despite the injury, Gurley carried the ball 1,265 times and caught 218 passes in his first five pro seasons. Dallas could view Brooks as that sort of workhorse because of his combination of power and agility."

The Todd Gurley comparison is an interesting one. Many thought his ACL injury would hinder him in his first year in the NFL, and it did anything but. In his rookie season (2015) Gurley would total 1,106 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns from his 229 attempts. He also caught 21 passes for 188 yards as well en route to an All-Pro selection and Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks (24) celebrates after he runs into the end zone for a / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman

Gurley then had a down year in 2016 (885 yards, six touchdowns) before back-to-back stellar campaigns in 2017 and 2018 where he had a combined 2,556 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns while also hauling in 123 receptions for 1,368 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gurley also grabbed Pro Bowl honors in both seasons.

But if was after that in which his knee issues began to develop and he was then out of the league two years later (2020). So while Gurley burst onto the scene, his career was short lived.

The Cowboys and Brooks feel like a good fit due to his dual-threat possibilities along with his pass protection skills. Head coach Mike McCarthy made that a point of emphasis last offseason for his running backs and in Brooks, the Cowboys will be getting a running back who can more than hold his own in pass protection.

Cowboys doctor Dan Cooper performed Brooks' ACL surgery, so if the franchise wanted to select the Longhorns star, all the relevant information would be right at their fingertips.

Brooks has everything that the Cowboys want/need in a running back, however with his ACL injury no doubt somewhat of a concern, the Gurley comparision seems fair.

But if Dallas does select him, it will hope to get more than a couple of good seasons out of Brooks before he falls off that infamous running back cliff.