2012 NFL Draft: Top 10 Most Dangerous Offensive Players in 2012 Draft Class

If you've been watching closely, you may have noticed that there's been a lot of scoring going on in the NFL this season.

Regardless of how you want to explain it, there are currently 10 teams that are averaging better than 25 points per game. The 2010 season wrapped up with just six teams averaging better than 25 points per game.

The point: offense is in, and that means it's going to be a good year for offensive players.

Given the amount of quality draft prospects who play their trade on the offensive side of the ball, this is a trend that may not disappear in 2012. We know about all the talented quarterbacks that will be entering the league, but the 2012 draft is not going to be short on running backs (Trent Richardson ftw!) and wide receivers.

For the sake of having a little fun, why don't we go ahead and take a look at the players who are going to cause the most trouble upon entering the league?

Here are the 10 most dangerous offensive players in the 2012 draft class.

10. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

Yes, you are reading this correctly. Oregon running back LaMichael James, arguably the most dangerous player in college football today, barely made the cut on this list.

There are good reasons for that, and my guess is that you're probably already familiar with them. As fast and as shifty as James is in the open field, he doesn't look like your typical NFL running back. At 5'9" and 195 pounds soaking wet, one worries about what will happen to James in between the tackles at the next level.

Despite these concerns, James still has the goods to carve out a nice niche for himself in the NFL, as you have to think he'll be useful as a punt returner and as a situational running back. If a team can find a way to use him like the New Orleans Saints are using Darren Sproles, they'll be glad they drafted him.

As of right now, I think James is at best a late-first round pick. He won't be a star, but I think he'll be good.

9. Matt Barkley, QB, USC

James may have barely made the cut, but you have no idea how much I wanted to leave USC quarterback Matt Barkley totally off this list.

This is largely because Barkley's various inefficiencies and shortcomings as a passer are only becoming more and more obvious as scouts look more closely at him. Bleacher Report's own Matt Miller did his part in a recent piece, and he made it clear that Barkley has a lot of things to work on.

Nevertheless, it's going to take a disaster beyond reckoning for Barkley not to go in the first round when April comes around, so I may as well give him some credit.

Besides, as inconsistent as Barkley is, he is a sight to see when things are going well. Specifically, I remember him torching my beloved Cal Bears for 350 yards and five touchdown passes last year, and those kinds of outbursts are not entirely uncommon for Barkley. He may not be great, but he can be on occasion.

8. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd has pretty much all the measurables you look for in a stud receiver. He's 6'3" and upwards of 220 pounds, and he runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.5-second range.

But what impresses me about Floyd is that he has managed to be productive despite some very inconsistent play from Irish quarterbacks. He had 1,000 yards receiving last year and is very much on track to have well over 1,000 receiving yards this year.

So you wonder if Floyd is going to be one of these guys who ends up being far better than advertised once he is paired with a competent quarterback. He's going to go in the mid-to-late first round, but time could prove him to be the best wide receiver the 2012 draft class had to offer.

Or he could end up being just another overrated Notre Dame player. That fear alone is exactly why I have Floyd relatively low on this list.

7. Chris Polk, RB, Washington

I may as well admit that not many people are going to agree with me on this one. There aren't that many top-flight running backs in the 2012 draft class, and Washington's Chris Polk generally isn't considered to be one of them.

But to be totally honest, I don't see why Polk shouldn't be. He's been a very productive player for three seasons now, and he has the kind of size and speed you look for in an NFL running back. Polk goes 5'11" and 220 pounds, and his 40 time stands at 4.48 seconds.

The reason I like Polk more than, say, Lamar Miller is because I think Polk is slightly more versatile. Polk is the very definition of a workhorse on the ground, and he's been an asset in the passing game as well. He caught at least 20 passes in 2009 and 2010, and he already has seven receptions for 112 yards this year.

People can disagree with me all they want, but I just have a feeling Polk is going to surprise people at the next level.

6. Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

Because he's big, strong, fast and just generally totally awesome, you've probably heard people compare South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery to Calvin Johnson.

That's enough to make me skeptical about Jeffery, but even I have to admit that the comparisons are valid. Jeffery could indeed be that good.

True enough, Jeffery isn't racking up the kind of numbers this year that scream greatness, but I think there are a couple of reasons for that. The first is that Stephen Garcia has been awful, and the second is that South Carolina's offense has revolved around Marcus Lattimore this season.

If there is one thing that worries me about Jeffery, it's that he reminds me a little bit too much of Mike Williams, the former USC great. I don't know why, but it just looks like his weight could balloon, which is not a good thing.

Still, I would take Jeffery given the chance. Because really, who could be afraid of a Jeffery?

5. Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Were it not for a certain Stanford quarterback, you might be hearing talk of Oklahoma's Landry Jones being the top overall pick in the 2012 draft.

He won't be, but Jones is pretty much a lock to go in the Top 10 on draft day. He's not off to a great start this season, but he still has everything you look for in an NFL quarterback.

Namely: size, arm strength, accuracy, vision, decision-making skills and pocket presence. About the only thing he can't do is run, but I don't think we should hold that against him.

All of this being said, Jones' status is going to be worth monitoring over the next couple months. If he continues to struggle, he may fall out of favor with scouts and various NFL decision makers.

Stay tuned.

4. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Robert Griffin ahead of Landry Jones?!

I know, right? Before the start of the season, such an idea would have bordered on blasphemy. As productive as Griffin had been at Baylor, he was widely viewed as just another track star with a strong arm.

But Griffin has definitely opened eyes with his play this season. He has the highest QB rating of any quarterback in the country, and has thrown more touchdown passes (13) than he has incompletions (12).

As a result, people are not seeing just a track star with an arm anymore. They're seeing a quarterback.

I think that's why I have Griffin ahead of Jones. While Jones' stock is merely hanging steady, Griffin's is skyrocketing. He may not be a first-round talent now, but he will be before long. Next thing you know, he'll be a Top-10 talent.

3. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

In the last two seasons combined, I've seen Justin Blackmon do two things that I didn't like.

The first was his failure to have 100 yards receiving against Tulsa a couple weeks ago. There was just no excuse for that.

The second was the ball he fumbled away late in this past weekend's game against Texas A&M. There was no excuse for that, either.

Everything else Blackmon has done since the start of the 2010 season has been nothing short of amazing. He's been far and away the most productive wide receiver in the country, and it's looking like he''ll be a Top 10 pick in April.

So why rank Blackmon ahead of Jeffery?

Well, I just think Blackmon truly is more "dangerous" than Jeffery. It seems like he's in on every play, and it seems like every play he makes is a big one. Luck and coincidence can only contribute to that so much. For the most part, Blackmon does the things he does because he has the skills to do them.

2. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

You're not seeing teams place much of a premium on stud running backs anymore. You can look to the 2011 draft as evidence, as only one running back (Mark Ingram) went in the first round.

However, Alabama's Trent Richardson is the kind of guy who demands to be an exception to the rule. He's probably the best running back to come along since Darren McFadden, and he is very much deserving of the hype.

For starters, Richardson is as strong as a bull, and he also has speed that gets him in the 4.5 range in the 40-yard dash. He breaks tackles with ease, and is pretty much home free once he hits the second level.

Will Richardson go in the Top 10? I think that will depend largely on how the draft order shakes out. But personally, I think he would be a great fit for a team like the Cincinnati Bengals, who should end up with a Top 10 pick when all is said and done.

If Richardson doesn't go in the Top 10, he will pretty much be an automatic steal for whoever picks him up.

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Heck, who else did you expect to see up here?

Whenever people talk about a player being the next John Elway or the next Peyton Manning, one is forced to be skeptical. But when you watch Andrew Luck, it's really, really hard to doubt that he's capable of being just that and more.

There's really not much left to be said about Luck. He's a big dude with a big, accurate arm, and he's got a great head on his shoulders.

Honestly, what more could you ask for in a quarterback?

Damned if I know.