Trent Richardson: Cleveland Browns Can't Afford to Pass on Star Running Back

When the 2012 NFL draft gets underway Thursday evening at Radio City Music Hall the first two picks are foregone conclusions, as quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin will all but certainly be selected by the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins respectively.

Things get significantly more interesting when the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns go onto the clock with the next two picks. While the presence of star ball-carrier Adrian Peterson in the Twin Cities should prevent the Vikings from seriously considering Alabama running back Trent Richardson, the Browns' best draft day bet lies in not only considering the 5'9" 228-pound bell cow, but pulling the trigger as well.

As ESPN's Todd McShay recently pointed out the Browns have any number of holes to fill on both sides of the ball. In fact, given their myriad needs and the options available to the team at fourth overall the Browns may be faced with the most difficult decision among the teams picking towards the top of the first round.

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The Cleveland Browns have reportedly settled on the player they'd like to take with the No. 4 overall pick, but with needs at quarterback, running back and wide receiver—in any order you like—the process of arriving at that decision was the toughest of any team in the top 10.

So while I place five prospects—Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Matt Kalil, Richardson, Morris Claiborne—in the elite category, [Justin] Blackmon likely makes that group six deep (including Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill) for the Browns and adds to their options.

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However, upon further examination it becomes fairly easy to pare that list of available players down, and by the time you're finished Richardson emerges as not only the safest best but the smartest play for the Browns.

Luck and Griffin will be long gone by the time the Browns pick, and Tannehill is a project that may or may not be an upgrade over incumbent starter Colt McCoy. Matt Kalil may well be the best offensive line prospect in the draft, but with left tackle Joe Thomas already in Cleveland Kalil is a luxury pick that the team can't really afford. The same holds true to an extent in regards to Claiborne after the Browns spent their first pick on cornerback Joe Haden a year ago, and some scouts don't even believe that Blackmon is the best prospect at his position this season.

That leaves Richardson, who topped 2,000 total yards for the Crimson Tide as a junior last season. McShay calls Richardson "the most complete back to enter the draft since Adrian Peterson in 2007" and the 2011 Doak Walker award winner would immediately step into the starting lineup after the team allowed Peyton Hillis to depart in free agency.

If the Cleveland Browns are ever going to climb from the basement of the AFC North then the team has to improve an offense that was miserable a year ago. That means that team president Mike Holmgren and the Browns have to hit on the majority of their boatload of draft picks this week. By using their first choice to make Richardson the first running back taken in the top five since Darren McFadden in 2008, Cleveland gives their 2012 draft its best odds of starting with a bang and not a whimper.

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