Trent Richardson: 4 Reasons Cleveland Browns Can't Pass on Alabama Star

Trent Richardson is the best running back in the 2012 NFL draft.

That alone should be a good enough reason for the Cleveland Browns to draft him No. 4 in this Thursday's, April 26, opening round.

Still, the running back position has become less important over the years. Senior NFL columnist Pete Prisco from CBSSports.com even argues that no one in that position is worth being in the Top 5 pick.

Richardson has four qualities that the Browns can find useful and which make the junior from University of Alabama worth the high pick.

He Can Catch

As a running back, a player has to catch throws from the quarterback and passes from out of the backfield. Richardson is good at this.

The numbers show that Richardson is an efficient pass catcher. He had 338 yards and three touchdowns receiving last season.

In the Bowl Championship Series championship game, Richardson scored the only touchdown. It was a 34-yarder, in Alabama’s 21-0 victory over LSU.

He has only one fumble in 321 career touches entering the 2011 season.

He Can Run Too

Richardson is not very fast. He ran the 40-yard between 4.45 and 4.61 seconds at his pro day.

He can, on the other hand, break very long runs. He makes defenders look lazy while attempting stop him. That makes him very well fit for running in between the tackles.

Richardson has a less common running style of enhancing his physical strength with initial sprint.

He is quick enough to afford to be patient and pick which way to run as opposed to just doing it fast and running over a defender in the process.

Ability to Block

Other than a productive receiver, Richardson is also a high-quality pass-blocker.

Because of his body structure, he is a physical blocker. His power and strength make him the secret key on the defensive side.  

Richardson says it better than I can: “I love to block. Everybody knows I can run the ball. I’ve never been caught from behind, so if anyone wants to questions my speed, just look at the tape."

He Is Too Powerful

His powerful 5’9’’ and 228 pound body is difficult to bring down.

Richardson has a strong body, especially the core, which can be used effectively to stop arm attacks or blocks. Being this strong gives him another advantage. He has physical control over offensives in pass protection.

Richardson knows he is dominant and he likes to use his power. He once said in a short video profile of him, "I'm never going to be taken down by the first person...That's my goal. My mindset."

Richardson has a huge firm arm long 30.25, which has helped him deal with the tacklers.

He Can Do It All

The fact that a running back is in the Top 5 NFL picks this year speaks more than words about the potential of Trent Richardson.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban summarized the situation well enough. "Trent is a very special player," said Saban. "He has a really good, complete skill set to play running back.”