Trent Richardson Is Destined to Be NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year

Trent Richardson is going to follow up his national championship by winning the NFL's offensive rookie of the year. This dynamic, all-purpose back has all the skills to flourish in the NFL, and he will be put in a position to shine. 

Richardson is coming off a 2011 season that displayed all of his talents and rewrote the Alabama record books. 

The only thing that will stand between him and the coveted rookie award in 2012 is the fact that he may not enter the 2012 draft. Richardson has yet to announce if he will be turning pro, or returning for his senor season.

Given that he and his team just accomplished their ultimate goal, and considering the tiny shelf life of a running back, it feels safe to assume he has played his last game as an amateur.

2012 Draft

Let's work under the safe assumption that Richardson will enter the draft. And once he gets there, he is not going to last long on draft boards.

The fact that this powerful running back is going to be drafted high means that he is going to land on a team that is far less dominant than the one he is leaving and one that will be eager to showcase him as the centerpiece of his offense. 

This is going to give Richardson plenty of opportunities to showcase his talents and pile up stats. 

Trent's Skills to Pay the Bills

The soon-to-be-former Alabama running back is going to have no problem transitioning to the NFL. He runs low and hard. He bounces off tackles and almost always gains positive yards. 

While he has less-than-elite speed, he has solid acceleration.

He is similar, although a bit taller, to the Jaguars Maurice Jones-Drew. And, just like MJD, Richardson is a complete back.

He can catch and pass block. That means Richardson is not going to have to leave the field. He is going to be a three down back, and will be able to carry the ball as much as his bulky body will allow.  

Leaving His Peers in the Dust

This draft is loaded with offensive talent. Richardson will have some stiff competition for this award—most notably, Andrew Luck.

However, Richardson has an edge because he is a running back. 

The learning curve for a back is far smaller than that of a QB. He will be able to come right in and be ready to perform. Helping Richardson along will be the fact that he already understands how to block. He is ready for a full NFL workload. 

He is going to get plenty of touches, and he is going turn those touches into positive yards, highlights and rookie awards.