LaMichael James

For a few football players, the transition from college to the NFL will be a smooth ride, but for most, it will be full of bumps and bruises.

The following first- and second-round prospects, in particular, will struggle the most to adapt. If they figure it out, though, the wait will be well worth it.

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

Yes, he juked out a lot of people, but most of his success on the ground was a result of being flat-out faster than everyone else on the field. That won't be the case in the NFL—where linebackers run 4.4 40-yard dashes with ease.

At a slight 5'8" and 194 pounds, he will need to bulk up in order to be a featured back. Otherwise, he's destined to be nothing more than a situational back.

Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina

Brown stands 6'1", 244 pounds, runs a 4.50 40-yard dash and lifts 22 repetitions of 225 pounds. He also registered a 33.5" vertical leap and a 9'8" broad jump.

He is an athlete, a freakish athlete.

As a football player, however, he is a question mark.

Brown has always relied on speed to blow by blockers but will have to work on his pass-rush moves and technique in order to succeed at the next level.

Josh Robinson, CB, Central Florida

There's a difference between "the fastest man at the combine" and "the best prospect at the combine."

Robinson was the former.

He can run with anyone, but his tackling and football instincts leave a lot to be desired. Proper coaching is required before he becomes a shutdown corner.

David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

The future is bright for this young back, but his first couple of seasons may be somewhat dim.

Wilson has top-end speed—clocked a 4.40 40-yard dash at his pro day—and can really accelerate in and out of breaks. The problem is he dances around too much instead of attacking holes.

He also had a bad case of fumble-itis last season, coughing up the ball seven times. Defenses will attack that weakness until he learns to protect the ball.

Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Adams hurt his stock with a disappointing performance at the combine. He benched a surprisingly low 19 repetitions and followed it up with a sluggish 5.40 40-yard dash—alarming numbers for a player who is supposed to protect the quarterback's blind side.

Game tape reveals an inconsistent talent. At times he is dominant—others, not so much. He also has a hard time keeping up with speed rushers, so a move to right tackle is not out of the question.

Either way, Adams, who excels as a run-blocker, will need to work on pass protection before becoming a full-time starter.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the teams that don't really play games or create smokescreens in the weeks leading up to the draft. If they have a prospect visit their South Side facility, you can be reasonably certain that they are interested in adding him via the draft. So, what do we make of recent visits by two running backs?

Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead and Oregon RB LaMichael James have both visited in the last 10 days. Both are ranked roughly as third-round prospects and they possess excellent receiving ability in addition to their abilities in the return game. Both are prospects that are more quick and fast than big and strong.

Curiously, general manager Kevin Colbert had said that the team felt "confident" in their young running backs, but then head coach Mike Tomlin said at the owners meetings that he was "sure we are going to get another running back, whether it’s in free agency or in the draft. We will address it."

Add in that new offensive coordinator Todd Haley had the league's top running game in 2010 with the power-speed combination of Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles, and the picture comes into focus.

Scout.com Steelers beat writer Jim Wexell shared the belief on Twitter Thursday that the Steelers may be trying to reproduce that kind of backfield (and gave credit to Adam Hutchinson for originating the idea). 

We won't know the outcome for two more weeks, but the Steelers are giving clear signals that they are considering a two-headed RB approach for 2012 and beyond.

The Washington Redskins' first-round pick is a lock. The Redskins are drafting Robert Griffin III, no way around that. With that in mind, and with the second-round pick traded to St. Louis in the RG3 deal, the third-round pick takes on a whole new importance.

The Redskins have holes on both sides of the ball, so spending well on the highest pick left after RG3 has to be important. Last year, the Redskins used their third-round pick on one of the steals of the draft by picking up Miami's Leonard Hankerson.

I think the Hankerson pick is an indication of what's to come this year. Bruce Allen and the Redskins front office had a great draft last year, with more than half of their picks seeing extensive playing time. This year Allen has to do even better, and make more quality choices with fewer picks.

With that in mind, it shocks me that upon reading multiple mock drafts, the consensus seems to have the Redskins taking Oregon RB LaMichael James with the third-round pick. This is a poor pick for two reasons.

1. The Redskins are set at RB, at least for this coming season. Roy Helu and Evan Royster both had breakout rookie seasons, and Helu, in particular, looks to be the workhorse of the future. With Tim Hightower probably coming back, that gives the Redskins a great three-back rotation.

2. There are too many needs for the Redskins to be adding depth at RB in the third round. Maybe in the sixth round picking up a backup RB makes sense, but not with the third-rounder. The Redskins have no feasible depth on their offensive line, both Atogwe and Landry are gone at safety with only an aging Brandon Meriwether to replace them, London Fletcher still isn't re-signed and is only a mortal man who will eventually need to be replaced and watching Dez Bryant drag the Redskins corners up and down the field last year was an experience that I have no wish to repeat.

With all that in mind, why would Bruce Allen draft a running back with the third-rounder? It just doesn't make sense. I know I can't be the only one who reads these mock drafts and suspects that the person writing them doesn't know the first thing about the needs of the team.

Who should the Redskins draft with the third-rounder? If it were up to me I would draft a tackle.

Jammal Brown is not getting any younger or less injury prone. Zebrie Sanders from Florida State is probably the safe pick, however, I think the Redskins need to seriously consider James Brown from Troy. Yes, he played in the Sun Belt Conference, but he also played at the Senior Bowl and shined against elite talent, and had a good combine. Plus his name is James Brown, which is a plus in my book.

If not a tackle, the Redskins could choose to address the gaping hole at safety, but this is a pretty meager draft in terms of safety prospects. Or they could look towards the future at inside linebacker and begin the hunt for Fletch's replacement.

Just to point this out, but this is nothing against LaMichael James himself. I was a fan of his college career at Oregon as I'm sure many people were, but this Redskins team has too many issues to be spending a high draft pick on him or any other running back.

There was absolutely no stopping the Green Bay Packers' aerial attack in 2011. MVP Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson put together one of the best offensive seasons in NFL history. Green Bay finished 15-1 in the regular season. But the only record that mattered was the 0-1 postseason record that ruined a fantastic season.

The Packers were brilliant in 2011, but one-dimensional. Running back James Starks never returned to his 2010 post-season form. Ryan Grant had only two touchdowns in his 14 starts and back-up running backs Brandon Saine and Alex Green were never a serious threat for touches.

Ryan Grant will not return next year. Based on Starks, Saine and Green being the only backs under contract heading into 2012, the ground game could use some serious help.

Whether the veteran Packers go after a back in the draft or free agency, there are several options out there. The passing game became too predictable last season, no matter how effective it was. Though the defense needs a lot of work also, the rushing attack must be addressed if the Packers want to make another Super Bowl run.

The free agency frenzy has cooled off. This can actually help Green Bay make decent acquisitions at decent prices.

Joseph Addai is the best bet to help the Packers in 2012 if they go the free agent route. He has been to a Pro Bowl as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. Other than reuniting him with center Jeff Saturday, Addai can bring versatility to the Packers.

Addai is a great pass catcher and very good in protection, having blocked for Peyton Manning for so many years. With the Packers' passing game, Addai would excel catching passes out of the backfield and blocking for the NFL's MVP. He is also a physical runner who would be great in the red-zone. He is a do-it-all back and his injuries should be overlooked based on what he can bring to the offense.

If the Packers want to look to the draft for a running back, LaMichael James would be an appealing prospect. The Packers most likely will want to address their defense in the first round and James could be available by the second round.

James is a quick back who can also catch passes. He would complement the game of James Starks and could be the running back of the future in Green Bay.

The Green Bay Packers are already one of the top teams in the league. A running back would change up the pace on offense and make the Packers even more explosive. No matter which direction the organization goes, they must bring in a running back.

The aging Packers are a few players away from another ring and the clock is ticking.

The San Diego Chargers are in need of a Darren Sproles clone as the NFL Draft approaches. Oregon Duck LaMichael James and San Diego are a match made in heaven.

San Diego’s offense, while somehow highly rank, left something to be desired in 2011, evidenced by an underwhelming 8-8 record and missing the postseason. Philip Rivers did not seem to be himself in first half of 2011; whether it had to do with the lockout or not is unclear.

What was clear, though, was Rivers had a shortage of weapons at his disposal. Vincent Jackson may have been his healthiest receiver and he only caught four-plus receptions six times. The Chargers did not have much speed to work with in the middle of the field, rendered Rivers and his receivers to run go-routes on too many pass plays.

When the Chargers lost Sproles last offseason, San Diego General Manager A.J. Smith quieted the notion that he was the cog that made the Chargers offense go. Smith ignored a replacement for Sproles, suggesting an increased workload for Ryan Matthews and Mike Tolbert would fill the void.

While Matthews had a breakout season of sorts, Tolbert is now a Carolina Panther after a middling 2011 campaign full of injuries. Still, the Chargers lack that home run spark that Sproles once provided.

Enter LaMichael James. The Oregon running back leaves college after a successful three years as any for a running back. He burst on the scene during his sophomore season, leading the NCAA in all-purpose yards and finishing third in the Heisman voting.

The entire country has seen James’ big play ability and his blistering quickness. His receiving skills, though, were not on display in a spread rushing attack at Oregon. Since the NFL Combine and his pro day, James has been drawing rave reviews for his soft hands and route-running ability.

In addition, James was a willing teammate at Oregon. He split carries with multiple backs even when he was having career numbers and chasing a Heisman trophy. He would be satisfied carrying the load with Ryan Matthews, mainly being a 3^rd down option. The last thing San Diego needs to return to the playoffs is a ‘me first’ player. 

James will be available for San Diego to snag in the first two rounds.  The Chargers select at No. 18 and No. 39 picks, prime position to upgrade at running back. While, the No. 18 pick is too high for James, their second round selection is right where he could go. He’s predicted to go as high as the early second round to the beginning of the third round. 

In San Diego, James would do wonders to make up for Vincent Jackson’s absence in the passing game. Also, he would be adding to San Diego’s team speed, which has already been elevated by signing wide receivers Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal in free agency. 

Although Norv Turner may have underwhelmed as San Diego’s head coach thus far, this guy knows how to run an offense. With such a quick-twitch talent like James in the fold, Turner will find ways to utilize him all over the field. I wouldn’t be surprised if James would be running plays in the slot by the end of training camp.

Philip Rivers will be throwing to a whole new cast of pass-catchers in 2012.  LaMichael James would give their offense a big play element that would complete one of the NFL’s most dangerous attacks in San Diego.

The Denver Broncos should draft running back LaMichael James with the 57^th pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Not only is he a perfect fit for the team, but he could be the catalyst the offense needs to become the most dangerous unit in the NFL.

James draws comparisons to Darren Sproles due to his lack of height (5’8”) and abundance of speed. His ability to find holes combined with his Dante Hall-like jukes enables him to escape tight spaces before bursting into the open field.

While he is not a physical runner, he will not shy away from contact when he needs to gain a few extra yards. He even excels running up the middle where he can hide behind his offensive line before making a bee-line for the open field.

But, the fact still remains that James is too small to be an every-down back in the NFL. Since he cannot carry the load on offense, he will be a reach for most teams in the second round.

But the Denver Broncos are not most teams, something which became evident when they made Peyton Manning the face of their franchise before dumping Tim Tebow.

The former Oregon Duck will add depth and explosiveness to a backfield which lacks both.

Willis McGahee will be 31 years old before Halloween, Knowshon Moreno is perennially injured and both Lance Ball and Jeremiah Johnson are scrubs.

But depth and explosiveness are not what makes James a perfect fit for the Mile High City—it is the acquisition of the aforementioned Manning.

Everyone is well aware of Manning’s neck injury. While John Elway and the Broncos organization is banking on the fact that No. 18 will come back as good as ever, nothing can be certain until Week 1.

Manning’s surgeries, combined with the fact that he did not play a single snap in 2011, raise three concerning questions: how strong is his arm, how will he withstand pressure in the pocket and will he show the same confidence that has earned him 11 trips to the Pro Bowl?

Again, we can speculate all we want, but until he actually steps onto the field we cannot know for sure.

But for the purpose of this article, let us assume that Manning’s play is affected by the voice in his head warning him that any big hit could be his last—that he will not be the same quarterback receivers love and defenses fear.

Should Manning look rattled in the pocket or not be able to throw tight spirals to the sideline, he will need someone like James to bail him out.

James is a creative playmaker who can consistently gain yards with ease, whether he is running off tackle, taking a delayed handoff or catching a short pass.

His presence will take the pressure off Manning, who can opt to dump it off to James instead of exposing himself in the pocket as he searches for receivers down the field.

Imagine the defense showing an all-out blitz. Manning knows he needs to get the ball out quickly, but does not trust his new receivers to beat their man before the pressure is in his face. However, he knows that all James has to do to get open is throw a shoulder fake at his defender and then speed off in the opposite direction (all of which he can do within seconds).

Oh, and once the ball is in his hands, forget about it. He is gone.

Eventually, defenses will catch on to the fact that James cannot be handled by one person. Whether it is zone or man coverage, extra attention will be given to the shortest player on the field.  With defenses worrying about James, wide receivers will start seeing more open field.

This is how one 5’8” scat back can enhance an entire offense.

In the 2012 NFL draft, teams will look to draft the next Darren Sproles; whether it is James, David Wilson, Ronnie Hillman or Chris Rainey.

But I guarantee that three seasons from now teams will no longer be looking for the next Sproles; instead, they will be desperate to add the next LaMichael James: a lethal threat in space that can turn any play into a memorable one.