Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is one of the most talented rushers in football, but he has yet to really break out. Will 2019 finally be the year?

ESPN thinks so, as they are projecting Gordon to rush for 1,122 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 4.4 yards per carry. In addition, they have Gordon hauling in 57 receptions for 549 yards and three scores.

Gordon is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he missed four games due to a knee injury and ultimately finished with 885 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, averaging 5.1 yards per attempt. He also caught 50 passes for 490 yards and four scores en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.

Had Gordon stayed healthy, he surely would have rushed for 1,000 yards for the second straight year, but throughout his four-year NFL career, he has only played one full 16-game campaign.

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Not only that, but this past season represented the first time that Gordon averaged four yards per carry or better.

The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Wisconsin, was originally selected by the Chargers in the first round (15th pick overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.

He had a very underwhelming rookie year, totaling 641 rushing yards without a touchdown and recording a meager 3.5 yards per carry. Then, the following season, Gordon totaled 997 yards and 10 scores, making his first Pro Bowl appearance. However, he logged just 3.9 yards per attempt.

The Kenosha, Wi. native then reached 1,000 yards for the first time in 2017, posting 1,105 yards while reaching the end zone eight times on the ground. Once again, though, he registered 3.9 yards per carry.