NFL Draft 2012: Is Andrew Luck the Next Reggie Bush or LeBron James?

Remember when Reggie Bush was entering his junior year at USC? He was unlike any running back prospect anyone had seen in 25 or so years. He had the makings to become the next Gale Sayers.

It was clear that any team who had the number one overall pick was going to draft him, barring some sort of serious injury or regression in Bush's upcoming season with the Trojans.

He capped off his career with a Heisman Trophy. The Texans ended up losing the "Reggie Bush Bowl" in Week 17 to the San Francisco 49ers, to lock up the number one overall pick.

Everybody knew the Texans were going to take Bush. Passing on him would be like passing on Sayers or Barry Sanders, right?

Word broke that the Texans were considering taking Mario Williams and a deal was done prior to draft day. It was a move that may have played a part in the firing of GM Charlie Casserly.

While looking back, the drafting of Williams over Bush made perfect sense, the surprising pick should stand as a cautionary tale going into the 2012 draft.

There is no such thing as a sure thing. This draft presents QB sensation Andrew Luck. He is supposed to be the second coming of Peyton Manning and the Panthers publicly declared they were selecting him first overall if he entered the draft.

Luck may not be Manning though. He has all the tools to be great and any team drafting number one overall is probably dying to have a franchise quarterback with his upside.

If Luck falls short of being one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, he is going to fall short of the hype. Either he becomes a first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, or critics are going to say he never lived up to his potential.

Take a look at the career Bush has had. While he is one of the most dynamic return men in history and played a big part on the Saints team that brought a Super Bowl to New Orleans, some still attach a bust tag to him.

The only phenom to enter any draft where the buzz was comparable is LeBron James. People were so enamored by the things the high schooler could do that media outlets were already dubbing him The King and his games were shown on ESPN.

He went number one overall, as Luck probably will. James is widely regarded as the best basketball player in the NBA. He surpassed the hype, if possible, and is on his way to becoming a Hall of Famer and maybe the best basketball player ever.

The bar is being set extremely high for Luck. It is going to be interesting to see how he manages to live up to the massive expectations that are being set for him. A phone call to LBJ may be in order.