Trent Richardson and the NFL's 8 Most Disappointing Rookies of 2012

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson has been a bit of a disappointment thus far, but he certainly isn't the only high-profile rookie from the 2012 NFL draft class having issues this season. 

Rookies selected in the first two rounds of any NFL draft are expected to be significant contributors one way or another in most cases. 

However, each and every year there are those well-known prospects that have serious issues adapting to the NFL for a variety of different reasons and end up being massive disappointments in their rookie campaign. 

None of this is to say the following players cannot turn things around and have successful NFL careers, but these eight players certainly haven't gotten off to a great start. Let's take a look. 

Justin Blackmon, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars made Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon the No. 5 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. 

Through 12 games, Blackmon has been a colossal disappointment given his high selection. 

Blackmon has failed to be the game-changing receiver the Jaguars needed. He's caught only 39 passes for 557 yards and three touchdowns, and 236 of those yards came in one contest against the Houston Texans. 

While Blackmon suffers from poor quarterback play between Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne, he has failed to play at a high level. The knocks on Blackmon coming out were his height and speed. 

So far he has done nothing to prove doubters wrong. 

David Wilson, RB, New York Giants

David Wilson is currently listed as the second running back on the depth chart for the New York Giants, but that's about the most positive thing we can say about him at this point. 

The Giants made Wilson the last pick of the first round this past year, so there were some high expectations for him coming into the season. Theoretically he was the perfect backup to starter Ahmad Bradshaw. 

Unfortunately for Wilson, that's just not how things panned out. 

Not only did Wilson originally fail to steal playing time from Andre Brown before he went down for the year, Wilson has disappointed when given a chance. He's carried the ball just 24 times 102 yards and one touchdown while committing some crucial turnovers. 

Wilson clearly has a long way to go before he can, if ever, be the man in New York. 

Brandon Weeden, QB, Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns shocked the world when they made the 29-year-old Brandon Weeden the No. 22 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. 

In not so shocking news, he has had serious issues adapting to the NFL. 

Weeden has appeared in all 12 of the Browns games while leading the team to a 4-8 record. He's thrown for 2,820 yards, 13 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, giving him a 72 quarterback rating.

To be fair, Weeden isn't working with top-flight talent just yet, and the Browns have been competitive. However, Weeden consistently fails to have a strong pocket presence, which inhibits his ability to stand tall and make the correct read. 

Weeden, despite his age, should have a long NFL career in front of him if he can turn things around. That said, he has to be quick about it. 

Isaiah Pead, RB, St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams needed a running back to spell the aging Steven Jackson entering the 2012 NFL draft. As a result, the organization made Isaiah Pead a top 50 selection when they selected the Cincinnati product in the second round. 

So far Pead has failed to see much playing time in the Rams' backfield and even lost his job to Daryl Richardson, an insurance plan St. Louis selected in the seventh round of the same draft. 

Pead has only seen four carries all season despite being active in every game. The coaching staff clearly trust Richardson more at this point, and Pead certainly won't take carries away from Jackson. 

All hope is not lost for the future, but Pead certainly started his NFL career on the wrong foot. 

Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Cincinnati Bengals

Dre Kirkpatrick was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 17 overall selection in last year's draft, with the team expecting him to work himself into a starting role rather quickly. 

Instead, Kirkpatrick has been hampered by injuries and has only appeared in five of a possible 12 games in 2012. 

When Kirkpatrick has been healthy enough to suit up he has failed to see the field often. He's seen more special teams duty than anything, which is not a good thing for a rookie selected so high. 

Kirkpatrick is oozing with potential but has failed to stay on the field long enough to earn any significant playing time. For that, he's one of the most disappointing rookies of 2012. 

LaMichael James, RB, San Francisco 49ers

LaMichael James was a highly-publicized collegiate prospect playing for Oregon, and he wound up with the San Francisco 49ers courtesy of the No. 61 overall pick in the second round last year. 

We haven't heard anything from the electric running back since. 

Even though James was taken in the second round, he's been absolutely buried on the San Francisco depth chart. He sits behind Frank Goreand Brandon Jacobs, and he was behind Kendall Hunter before he suffered a season-ending injury. 

James has appeared in exactly none of the 49ers' 12 games so far. He may get to dress for a few with Hunter out, but it's clear he hasn't shown anything to the coaching staff that would encourage them to give James any playing time. 

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals

For all the hype Michael Floyd received after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 13 overall pick last year, you'd think he would have made an impact by now. 

Floyd looked like a clear rookie sensation given his chance to not only learn from, but play across from Larry Fitzgerald with the Cardinals. 

So far, Fitzgerald has failed to make an impact despite being in such a special position. 

In 12 games Floyd has only managed to catch 26 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown. He's dealing with a horrible quarterback situation with Kevin Kolb, John Skelton and Ryan Lindley, but that should be negated considering he's seeing little coverage with defenses focused on Fitzgerald. 

Floyd has all the intangibles to be an elite player, but so far he's nowhere close. 

Trent Richardson, RB, Cleveland Browns

Coming into the 2012 NFL draft, Trent Richardson was touted by many as the greatest running back prospect since the Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson. 

With such high expectations, Richardson was bound to be a disappointment. 

The Cleveland Browns made Richardson the first running back off the board with the No. 3 overall pick. Cleveland desperately needed a makeover in the backfield, and it couldn't go wrong with Richardson. 

Richardson has been the focal point of the Browns offensive attack all season, but he's struggled to carry the load. Through 12 games he has carried the ball 229 times for only 827 yards and seven touchdowns. He's averaging only 3.6 yards per carry and has broken the 100-yard mark just three times. 

There is ample time for Richardson to turn things around. He's shown flashes of elite talent, but he has failed to put it all together for a string of games. Until he does the Browns will suffer. 

The 2012 NFL draft class has many disappointments, but none bigger than Richardson. 

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