Todd Gurley, Amarlo Herrera

Georgia running back Todd Gurley (3) (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

With Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen each leaving via free agency to sign with a different New York rival, the New England Patriots will likely be looking for value at the running back position during the 2015 NFL Draft.

One of the biggest steals could end up being Georgia's Todd Gurley.

Gurley, who might've been the most talented runner in the nation last year, is coming off of an ACL injury suffered during his final season with the Bulldogs, but appears to be on track for a full recovery.

Right now, Gurley is projected to come off the board at the tail end of the first round in most mock drafts. Whether or not he falls all the way to No. 32 overall remains to be seen. But for now, the Patriots are at least reportedly taking a look.

According to CSNNE's Michael Giardi, Gurley is set to have a pre-draft visit with the Patriots next week.

Of course, pre-draft contact is far from a sure thing when it comes to actually drafting players. It's merely a sign of interest or a team looking to clear up questions.

During the February scouting combine, MassLive's Kevin Duffy made the case for the Patriots to draft Gurley in Round 1 based on the value he'd present there:

Gurley was last spotted at Georgia's pro day, where he was still rehabbing from knee surgery and was unable to participate in drills.