2012 NFL Draft: LaMichael James Ready To Test NFL Waters

LaMichael James has seen just about enough of Oregon. He's ready to take the next step, which will conveniently come with a steady diet of fat paychecks.

According to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, James will declare for the NFL draft after the season is over. His last game as a Duck will be the Rose Bowl against the Wisconsin Badgers.

It's an interesting play by James. As a fourth-year junior, James could have returned to Eugene for one more season, but he must be figuring that he has little left to prove at the collegiate level and that he would be wise not to risk it all by coming back.

If so, that makes sense. James already holds plenty of Oregon records, he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2010, and he will leave Eugene with three BCS bowl appearances on his resume. Not a bad college career.

The only real issue is that James' draft stock isn't exactly high. Though plenty fast and great in space, the 5'9," 195-pound James is considered to be too small for every-down duty in the NFL. At the absolute best, he'll be a serviceable part-time player who does a little bit of everything. 

It would be a shocker if James were drafted in the first round, but he will be on the radar of teams looking to draft a skilled specialist. He's done pretty much everything at Oregon, so the team that picks him will know what it's getting.

Wherever James ends up, he's leaving behind an impressive legacy at Oregon. With him gone, the Duck likely won't have to do as many pushups.