Gurley was above guys like Chubb and Michel. Shouldn't that be a testament to his abilities rather than an indictment?
Gurley's stats in his junior year - six games, 123 attempts, 911 yards, nine touchdowns rushing. Twelve receptions, fifty-seven yards.
Chubb's stats in his freshman year - thirteen games, 219 attempts, 1,547 yards, fourteen touchdowns rushing, Eighteen receptions, 213 yards, two touchdowns.
Michel's stats in his freshman year - eight games, sixty-four attempts, 410 yards, five touchdowns. Seven receptions, 106 yards, one touchdown.
Remember that Gurley put up his numbers in less than half of the games that Chubb started, in two less games than Michel played. And the last game wasn't even a full one.
As for backs in the top ten...none of them were half as talented as Gurley was. Hey, remember guys like Dickerson and Faulk? Both of them went with the second overall pick in their respective drafts. Different era, I know, but if you can play, you can play. Jackson actually was rated as a top ten talent in 2004. He fell to the 24th overall pick because he had a knee injury that required surgery. Sounds familiar, right?