2012 NFL Draft: Can Trent Richardson Be a Franchise Cornerstone?

Alabama running back Trent Richardson entered the 2011 college football season expected to be the top running back in the 2012 NFL draft, and he did nothing to change that status during his junior season.

After splitting carries with 2011 first-round pick Mark Ingram for two seasons, Richardson handled full-time duty this season and did not disappoint. He carried the ball 283 times for 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns, while also catching 29 passes for 338 yards and three more scores. 

Now that I've watched a ton of film on Richardson, it is obvious that he is the best running back to enter the NFL in quite some time. At 5'11" and 224 pounds, he has ideal size for an every down back in the pro game. He is also just so dang explosive for his size, it really jumps off the screen.

Richardson has two traits that really separate him from the pack: his vision and his balance. He is an incredibly patient runner who lets things develop in front of him and sees the whole field as he sets up his blocks and cuts. He almost never goes down on first contact, either.

He has the power to run between the tackles and also the speed to run away from them once he hits the second level. He's not a burner but he does possess enough giddyup to take the ball to the house once he's through the line.

Running backs have been devalued in the NFL over the past few years, as teams have decided that guys who pound the ball are essentially interchangeable.

Well, Richardson blows that theory right out of the water.

If a team wants a guy it can rely on to carry the ball consistently and be its go-to running back for years to come, it will take Trent Richardson. Right now, I think the Cleveland Browns are a team desperately in need of a guy like that, and I see them snagging him with the fourth overall pick in the draft.