LaMichael James

With the 2012 NFL draft quickly approaching, it seems that Andrew Luck is ready to go with the number one pick and many other top prospects right behind him. With all the focus on the first round, many good players have gone unnoticed because of a single flaw. I will reveal 5 players that could be skipped over until the later rounds and end up being something special at the next level.

LaMichael James:

James excelled at the collegiate level as a running back for Oregon, leading the nation in rushing yards in 2010, and then finishing second in rushing in 2011 despite missing several games due to injury and a suspension. James' raw talent is exceptional and the only things holding him back in the draft are his size and durability. Standing at a mere 5’ 9” and 185 pounds, LaMichael James is one of the smaller players in this year's draft. Because of his lack of size, it will be hard for James to break many tackles in the NFL.

Aside from his size, James is also a risky runner. At the ends of runs he takes a lot of shots trying to gain extra yards. There is some concern about how long his career will last if he continues to take the same chances in the NFL. James's knee and ankle have been problems for him in his collegiate career. Tweaking them both during the 2010 season caused him to miss practices and leave a game against the California Bears early.

If James can put on some weight and take care of himself, he could turn out to be something special for whoever is able to snag him late.

Kellen Moore:

Moore is entering into a draft where quarterback will be a very competitive position. With Andrew Luck seemingly locked-in as the number one overall pick and Heisman winner Robert Griffin III also ahead of him, Moore is pushed farther down in the draft. His production at Boise State was unprecedented, passing for 14,667 yards and 142 touchdowns with only 28 interceptions in his 4-year tenure. Kellen Moore has a very high football I.Q. and can be a great leader on any team. He also thrives under pressure, especially in late-game scenarios. He can quickly diagnose the defensive coverage and then make an accurate throw.

The main drawbacks for Kellen Moore are his size, release and arm strength. Moore is very undersized for his position, which could create some problems for his ability to effectively pass in the NFL. His lower release point also poses some issues about his ability to make passes. To be a good passer he will need a core of exceptional receivers.

Leonard Johnson:

Johnson was a great cornerback for the Iowa State Cyclones. Recording 62 tackles and one forces fumble. Johnson is entering a draft that is very competitive at cornerback with other stars such as Morris Claiborne and Dre Kirkpatrick. Johnson has exceptional durability and enough skills to lead a successful career in the NFL. His instincts and diagnostic skills are one of his strong suits. He can put himself in the position to make big plays but he struggles to finish plays. Johnson is also on the smaller side of size and weight but his above-average speed can help make up for that.

Johnson possesses an upbeat personality that can be very valuable in the locker room and was very well liked by coaches and players at the collegiate level. If Johnson can just work out finishing plays in the NFL he should be ready for a noteworthy career.

Jeff Fuller:

As a wide receiver for Texas A&M, Jeff Fuller recorded 3092 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns on 233 receptions. Fuller has the size and necessary skills to produce good numbers at the next level. Fuller’s height (6’3¾”) and weight (217 lbs.) make him a force to reckon with on the field, giving him an advantage when fighting for position. He also has considerable speed for someone his size that enables him to separate himself from the defender. He lacks the elite top-end speed, but his long stride helps him cover lots of ground very quickly.

His injuries and off-field problems are the only blemishes on his resume. In 2009, he suffered a broken fibula against Utah State causing him to miss 4 games. Fuller was also arrested in 2010 for consumption of alcohol by a minor, a class C misdemeanor. Fuller just needs to be able to keep himself from any major injuries and off-the-field problems and he has the requirements for a solid NFL career.

Adewale Ojomo:

Last season, Ojomo was a defensive end for the University of Miami. Ojomo has some good bulk and height for his position, and top-end speed for his size. Ojomo also possesses a lot of great skill and control, making him an exceptional defender against the run. Generating power from his hips and lower body, Ojomo makes a very physical and tough tackler. He is a smart player capable of being used in multiple positions, including NT and DT. Ojomo’s football intelligence is something to note as he can usually figure out screens, draws and misdirections.  

The only drawback regarding Ojomo is that in 2009, he got in a locker room fight that resulted in a broken jaw, causing him to miss the entire 2009 season.

Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams mirrors former Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George, the featured back for the Titans under Jeff Fisher for eight seasons, in many ways. 

Both are multiple time Pro Bowlers.  Eddie George made the AFC Pro Bowl four times while Jackson, thus far, has earned three NFL Pro Bowl berths. 

Each have been known as big, physical, bruising runners of very similar stature.  George checked in at 6'3" and 235 pounds; Jackson also stands 6'3" and tips the scales at 229 pounds (although he certainly played heavier than that in 2010). 

Perhaps most pertinent to this discussion, however, is that both George and Jackson have been featured in old-fashioned running attacks where week in and week out they carried the load almost exclusively at running back.

In eight featured seasons as a starter in Tennessee, George had 2,733 carries.  In eight seasons in St. Louis, seven as a starter, Jackson has had 2,138 carries—595 fewer than George. 

George averaged 3.7 yards per carry in Tennessee. Jackson, by comparison, has averaged 4.3 per attempt.

Fisher featured George in Tennessee through 2003, George's final year there, where he rushed for over 1,000 yards at the age of 30. 

Jackson will be 29 when the season opens in 2012.  

Considering he has about two seasons worth of carries (595) to catch George— two birthdays until arriving at the same age when George was phased out with the Titans and that Jackson has averaged over a half yard more per rush than George—it makes sense, then, to expect a couple more years of Jackson as the primary back in St. Louis.

When going further and considering that age 30 tends to be the dreaded age where many running backs hit the wall, two years away, that idea merits even more legitimacy.

Comparing the two further, George averaged 21.4 carries per game and a whopping 342 carries per year in Tennessee in 128 games there—all as the Titans starting halfback.  

The heavily used Jackson has "only" averaged 18.8 carries per game in his career and 286 carries in his seven seasons as the Rams featured back (excluding his rookie season where he backed up Marshall Faulk).  He has 115 games under his belt in St. Louis, starting 103 of those (twenty-five fewer than George). 

What is all the more impressive about George's career workload is two-fold:  

One, he started every game for the Titans during his eight seasons there.  Secondly, he averaged 342 carries over that time-frame while playing his entire career with another running back in quarterback Steve McNair, who rushed 548 times himself in their shared seasons, averaging 69 carries and 5.5 yards per rush.

In the passing game, however, Jackson holds the reception advantage, 46 per year versus George's 32.4 per season.  

Jackson seems excited about playing for Fisher, saying that Fisher "brings credibility" to the Rams. 

Jackson has spoken several times regarding Fisher since the time the Rams attained the experienced, proven head coach, including an interview with the NFL Network where he said that he expects to be used like, you guessed it, Eddie George, in a downhill rushing attack. 

Jackson has reached the stage in his career where, although he can still carry the load and play at an elite level, his trade value has diminished significantly as he approaches the (expected) final stages of his career.

Jackson, however, may surprise us all and play at a high level for several more years.  Several feature backs like John Riggins, Warrick Dunn, Fred Taylor; Thomas Jones, Tiki Barber, Curtis Martin; Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith, among others, continued to produce solid numbers well past the age of thirty. 

When considering the dedication Jackson shows towards his diet, workout regimen and the overall manner in which he takes care of his body, it would be foolish to rule him out as a player who could produce big numbers into his thirties, just as the players listed above did.

However, St. Louis cannot bank on that.  

The 2012 NFL Draft could be the time that the Rams look to find his eventual successor, especially with the run-loving Fisher at the helm.

Fisher was on board when the Titans drafted speedy Chris Johnson so it makes sense to conclude that Fisher's Rams could go either way by looking towards adding a power back in the mold of George or Jackson, or a smaller speed back like Johnson. 

This year's draft features some impressive talent at running back.  If the Rams do select a top rated prospect in this year's draft, he could serve as Jackson's backup for a season (or two), as Jackson did for Faulk in 2004.

Potential franchise type backs include Trent Richardson of Alabama, Lamar Miller of Miami, Chris Polk of Washington; David Wilson of Virginia Tech and the speedy LaMichael James of Oregon, all of whom are featured here.

Regardless of whether St. Louis selects the heir apparent to Jackson this season, expect the three-time Pro Bowl back to again carry a major share of the load, at least for a couple more seasons, a la Eddie George.   

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year round. To check out the rest of his work, go here.  You are also encouraged to follow him on Twitter.  

When you ask about Oregon running back LaMichael James as a potential draft pick in April, most of the draftniks will tell you the same things.

He's too small. 

He can't handle the full work load. 

He's going to get hurt. 

All these concerns for the 5-foot-9, 185-pound James are valid. He's too small to be a three-down running back in the NFL, and the possibility of him getting injured is likely increased due to his small frame. 

But despite those worries, I wouldn't count out James as being a guy that can be an impact player very soon in the NFL. 

For an example of how he can work at the next level, take a look at New Orleans Saints back Darren Sproles. 

While Sproles is a little better built (5'6", 190 lbs.), the size comparison here is close, and each player has been regulated to a specialized role because of that size. 

However, there's not a football person out there that would tell you Sproles isn't a huge part of the Saints offense. In fact, he broke the NFL record in 2011 for yards from scrimmage in a single season with more than 2,600. He ran for 603 yards on just 87 carries (6.9 yard average) and caught 86 passes for 710 yards , plus Sproles added more than 1,300 returning yards in the 2011 season. 

If James can add a few pounds at the start of his career, is there any reason why he can't be a similar type weapon in the right offense? You certainly won't run him 200 times a season, but he can give you the same kind of options Sproles currently does in New Orleans. 

And if James is scheduled to go anywhere from the third to sixth round, isn't he worth that risk? 

Given the right opportunity, James can be an impact player. He might not be Sproles right off the bat, but that kind of potential certainly exists for a guy you don't have to spend a high pick on. 

The running back crop for the 2012 NFL draft was already deeper than Jerry Jones’ pockets, and it got deeper with the announcement that Oregon’s LaMichael James is throwing his recognizable name into the ring as well. 

Fantasy football owners have to pay attention to what happens at the draft in April. Even though fantasy football has now become a quarterback-driven hobby, running backs are still vital to championship success.

You need to keep track of which college running backs are drafted by which NFL teams and if these backs will be starters, backups, waterboys, etc. 

So here are some possible destinations for Mr. James and three other highly touted running backs who will be available in the 2012 NFL draft: 

LaMichael James, Oregon

James’ college numbers prove he can do it all. He was second in the NCAA in rushing yards in 2011, scored 57 total touchdowns over his three seasons at Oregon and had countless highlight-worthy, long-gaining plays that helped fantasy college football owners in distance leagues. 

The 5'9", 185-pound James does not have the size to be an every-down back in the NFL, though. Unless he adds another 25 to 30 pounds onto his frame like Baltimore’s Ray Rice, James’ body will break down if he is a No. 1 RB.    

The Arizona Cardinals have the oft-injured Beanie Wells and the still-injured Ryan Williams at tailback. Both have knee problems they have to overcome, and neither scares any defense’s front seven right now.   

If Arizona added James to the mix, however, opposing teams might get as scared as Terrell Owens’ accountants. Wells could be the primary ball carrier, James could be the change-of-pace/home run back and Williams could take all the time he needs to recuperate.

Factor in also that James is well known out West thanks to his Oregon exploits, and a James-Arizona marriage could work out for both parties as well as Beyonce's and Jay-Z’s. 

David Wilson, Virginia Tech

It is no shock to anyone that Wilson declared early for the draft. The juke-filled junior ran for 1,709 yards this season, including an astonishing 10 100-yard-games. But even though many draft pundits project Wilson could go late in the first round, he does have flaws. 

After Wilson scored a trio of touchdowns in his first game of the season, he only scored seven the rest of the way, and Virginia Tech’s schedule was not exactly littered with tons of top-10 teams.

Wilson’s other problem is his lack of receiving skills.

He had only 129 receiving yards in 2011, so unless he does some serious work with the likes of Marshall Faulk or Roger Craig in the offseason, he will not be on the field for many third-down plays in the NFL.  

The Cleveland Browns rarely use high draft picks on skilled position players—that is one of the main reasons why their offenses have been so lousy the past five years.

But they are sorely lacking game-breakers, and Wilson is a speed demon who can take the ball all the way every time he’s handed it. 

Cleveland could very well draft Alabama’s Trent Richardson with the fourth pick overall. Richardson has not announced that he is coming out yet, so if he stays in school or Cleveland decides to trade down (or trade up from the second round), maybe Wilson could be in their future. 

Lamar Miller, Miami (FL)

Miller is a late first-round, early second-round player. Even though he only started for one season at Miami, the super sophomore showed he had NFL-type talent by running for 272 yards in two games against top-15 teams, Virginia Tech and Kansas State, along with 184 yards against Ohio State.

Miller is a breakaway threat who has a lot of Willis McGahee (another former Miami product) in him in terms of shiftiness. That’s why I could see Miller fitting nicely with the Cincinnati Bengals, who could have used some explosiveness from their backfield against the Houston Texans this past weekend. 

Cedric Benson is a straight-forward runner who is about as shifty as a person with one leg. Backup Bernard Scott is supposed to be “the fast RB,” but his 3.4 yards per carry this year suggests he’s no greyhound. Miller could step right in for Cincy and turn his 10-15 touches per game into a lot of yardage. 

Cincinnati has some extra draft picks to play with thanks to its Carson Palmer trade with the Oakland Raiders. Do not be surprised if one of the Bengals’ picks is put towards a running back like Miller.       

Chris Polk, Washington

Polk is an inside runner who steadily improved in several fantasy facets throughout his college career with Washington. He had a career-high 12 touchdowns as his nose for the end zone grew longer, and he caught a personal best 31 balls for 332 yards, although he will never be confused with Darren Sproles as a pass-catcher. 

The New York Giants likely will sever ties with longtime big back Brandon Jacobs, as his ridiculous quotes and short-yardage stumbles have gotten more attention than his production over the last two years.

Ahmad Bradshaw is better with a running partner than as a full-time starting tailback, so a guy like Polk could be a nice complement. Polk could handle the runs between the tackles and downs near the goal line, while Bradshaw could handle the runs outside the tackles and the third-down screens and safety valves.   

After yet another Heisman-worthy season, Oregon's superstar RB LaMichael James has decided to forego his senior season and has entered his name into the 2012 NFL Draft. 

Even though he missed two games with a dislocated right elbow, LJ rushed for a school record 1,805 yards and led the nation with 150.4 rushing yards per game.

How Leaving Early May Help Oregon

James' decision directly impacts Chip Kelly and Oregon's system, but not as drastically as everyone thinks. As brilliant of a runner as LJ is, the Ducks also have another above-average RB in Kenjon Barner, who has shared a lot of the snaps with James throughout the season.

Barner racked up 932 yards and 11 touchdowns on 152 touches this season. Even more importantly, in two games that James was injured, he rushed for a combined 286 yards on 41 carries. If he becomes the featured back in Kelly's spread offense, Barner will have more of an opportunity to show his full potential.

We'll also be able to see more of De'Anthony Thomas in the backfield—something I'm sure everyone who's seen the true freshman play will appreciate.

"The Black Mamba" (Thomas' nickname bestowed upon him by rapper Snoop Dogg) has piled up 595 rushing yards on 55 touches for a ridiculous average of 10.8 yards per carry. Not only that, but he's got seven touchdowns on the season, including his Rose Bowl record-setting 91-yard TD run against Wisconsin last week. He also leads the team in receiving yards with 605 off of an Oregon second-best 46 receptions.

James leaving for the Draft will help both of them develop into the beasts that they have the potential to become.

Why Leaving Now is Best for LaMichael James

You could argue that James should stay one more season and help Oregon try for another BCS Championship Game, but the fact of the matter is that his stock is as high as it's going to get right now.

LJ suffered an ugly elbow injury earlier in the season, and if something like that were to happen again, it would only be worse for his future in the NFL.

James is an undersized RB. At 5'9," 185 pounds, he's a lot smaller than many NFL general managers want as their feature back for their offense. And he's not a traditional speed back, either. LJ is a power back in a scat back's body. He's got ridiculous straight-line speed, and has the leg strength to keep churning even when the defense has already made contact. 

Likely a third-round draft pick, the only way LJ can increase his stock is at the NFL combine, where he'll show these scouts exactly how fast and how strong he really is. Staying at Oregon another season won't help him.

Not only is James leaving for the draft early best for himself, but it's best for the development of other Ducks as well. He gives Barner a chance to make his own legacy, and possibly increase his own stock in the 2013 NFL Draft, and Thomas more wiggle room to create even more big plays for the Oregon Ducks.

LJ's left his mark in Oregon history, but it's time for him to move on.