2012 NFL Draft: Teams Should Be Concerned by Trent Richardson's Injury History

There is no doubt that Trent Richardson is the best running back in the 2012 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean teams in the top 10 shouldn’t think twice before drafting him.

No question he has the strength, explosiveness and versatility to put up big-time numbers right off the bat.

Richardson will be expected to carry the ball 15 to 20 times out of the gate. He is durable enough to do so, but for how many years can he keep up the pace?

It’s not like Richardson hasn’t dealt with injuries before.

In 2010 he had a knee issue that limited him to 112 carries (two missed games), and he endured a knee injury again just before the national championship game against LSU in the beginning of January. While he was able to play, Richardson was forced to undergo a knee scope which knocked him out of the all-important NFL Scouting Combine.

Sure, the injuries aren’t major, but anytime you hear about a running back with a knee injury you have to cringe.

Let’s say he gets drafted by the Cleveland Browns at No. 4. Instantly he becomes the go-to weapon on that offense, meaning 20 carries or more in addition to five to eight targets out of the backfield. So we’ll call it 25 touches a game multiplied by 16 games (including six against the ultra-physical AFC North) and you have 400 opportunities to be tackled.

You are telling me that without a doubt Richardson’s 5’9’’, 215-pound frame is going to handle this?

Running back is the most dispensable position in the league. The New York Giants just won the Super Bowl after ranking dead last in rushing yards. Jamaal Charles looked to be one of the best fantasy players in the league last season, and was gone in a flash with an ACL tear. Adrian Peterson suffered the same injury at the end of the year, meaning he may not be the same guy until at least halfway through the 2012 season.

In today’s NFL, drafting a running back in the top 10 is an incredibly risky move, and one that can backfire rather quickly. We don’t know how Richardson’s knee is at this point considering all he has done on it is the ‘Bama pro day.

I’m not saying Richardson can’t be a great player for the next five to 10 years. What I am saying is that recent history at the position, combined with a past that already includes injuries, doesn’t bode well for using such a coveted pick on him.

It’s a complete roll of the dice, and Richardson is certainly one of—if not the—riskiest pick of the top 10. 

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