2012 NFL Draft: LaMichael James Better off Ditching Oregon to Start Pro Career

Like so many college football underclassmen, Oregon's LaMichael James has a tough choice to make: Return to school for one more season or declare for the 2012 NFL Draft.

If James is smart, he'll bid farewell to Eugene and take his talents to the pros as fast as his speedy feet will carry him.

On an individual level, James has very little to gain from another year in school. He's been at Oregon for four years now, having spent his first season in Eugene redshirting. He's also run for more than 1,500 yards in each of his three active seasons on the Ducks' squad, with a career-high 1,805 yards and 7.3 yards per carry this season en route to being a Rose Bowl champion.

At 5'9 and 185 pounds, James is hardly of ideal size for the NFL, but that isn't likely to change with another year in school. James' diminutive stature, though, is hardly a proxy for his toughness. James dislocated his right elbow in Oregon's 43-15 win over Cal, but not before scampering for 239 yards and a score on 30 carries. He missed the next two games, returning in time for a home win against Washington State, during which James played with his arm in a protective cast.

It's that threat of injury, especially for a position as punishing as running back, that should propel James into the NFL Draft. Sure, another year in school would afford him the opportunity to compete for a BCS title with his pals, but such would also put his professional career at risk. That sort of concern certainly isn't worth it for a player like James, who's already maxed out his collegiate potential and, as a result, has little—if any—reason to stay in school.

While James isn't exactly your prototypical bruising, run-between-the-tackles-type 'back, he does sport more than enough speed to be a dangerous weapon at the next level. Some draftniks have likened him to New Orleans Saints scatback Darren Sproles, who set a new NFL record for single-season all-purpose yardage in 2012.

Certainly not a bad career path for any ballplayer. James isn't likely to be a first-round pick, not with Alabama's Trent Richardson and Miami's Lamar Miller occupying the top of the draft board among eligible running backs, though he still has an excellent chance to go in the late second or early third round—and make one NFL team more than happy to have him on its roster.

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