2012 NFL Mock Draft: Seahawks Should Keep LaMichael James in the Northwest

Now that the Seattle Seahawks have acquired the player they hope will be their quarterback of the future in free agent Matt Flynn the team needs to begin improving the weapons at his disposal, and while the Seahawks are set to bring in running back Michael Bush for a visit, a back that may be a much better fit could be available in the third round of April's draft.

Oregon running back LaMichael James led the NCAA with over 1,800 rushing yards in 2011 at the University of Oregon, and as the Sporting News recently pointed out James was one of the stars of the Ducks' pro day on March 15.

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James stood on nearly all his numbers from the Combine except for his 40, and according to NFL sources, he ran in the low 4.4s on FieldTurf (4.41 to 4.44, depending on the scout SN spoke to). He also showed the explosive foot quickness, balance and lateral agility in drills that he used throughout his college career to make tacklers miss and avoid big hits.

More important, he displayed the natural hands and good all-around receiving skills to prove he can be an impact receiver out of the backfield. According to one of SN's sources at the workout, James showed the athleticism and receiving skills to convince NFL teams that he could line up as a slot receiver and be productive, which adds to his draft value.

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James' relatively diminutive size (5'9", 194 pounds) may prevent the second team All-American from being taken in the first round of the draft or ever becoming a true feature back in the NFL, but James' elusiveness and blazing speed could make him an excellent complement to bruiser Marshawn Lynch in the Seattle backfield.

Darren Sproles has demonstrated very well that a small back can have a big impact out of the backfield in the National Football League, and with their shiny new quarterback much more a game manager than gunslinger, Flynn could well use a weapon like James on third downs.

Kip Earlywine of Seahawks Draft Blog shares this assessment, and he theorizes that the Oregon star may be squarely on Seattle's draft day radar.

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LaMichael James is one running back option who lines up with many of Seattle’s criteria, and if Seattle is willing to consider change of pace types, James would likely top the list.

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"This front office has made it no secret that they target value on draft day and opportunity in free agency.  James is a very talented back being devalued because of his role in a run centric offense.  He’s also undersized, although NFL teams have shied away from small backs less and less in recent years.  For those reasons James is likely to be drafted lower than his on field talent deserves, making him the kind of  “value” selection that appeals to this front office."

As Earlywine also points out, the Seahawks have been able to acquire key contributors such as safety Kam Chancellor and cornerback Richard Sherman in recent drafts because they slid on draft day for one reason or another, and if the Seahawks are able to acquire James in a similar fashion this April, it may well turn out to be another draft-day feather in Pete Carroll's cap.

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