- Name: LaMichael James
- Height: 5’9
- Weight: 185
- School: Oregon
- Year: Redshirt Junior
- Draft Projection: 4th-5th Round
The focal point of Oregon’s spread offense, LaMichael James has lit up the Pac 10 (or Pac 12) during his three years on the field in Eugene. He’s established himself as one of the nation’s premier runners and big play threats, showing the ability to go the distance on any play. James was a perfect fit for Oregon’s spread attack thanks to his lateral agility and elusiveness in the open field; any defender taking on James at the second level is likely to leave grasping for air. He has the speed to hit the corner and displays good body lean when moving in tight spaces. He leaves the Ducks as one of the greatest backs in program history, and has left an indelible mark on their record books.
Unfortunately, the skills that made him an elite college running back do not translate seamlessly to the next level. In the NFL time and space are so limited, and without those you’re eliminating James’ top two assets: his agility and speed. While those still have value, they’re not nearly enough to make James a hot commodity come draft day. His slight build and lack of power make him easy to bring down once he’s wrapped up, and he has neither the lower body bulk nor the running instincts to become a smaller feature back in the mold of a Ray Rice or Maurice Jones-Drew. His limitations should relegate him to a change-of-pace type of role, and his name value far exceeds his value as a draft prospect.
Fantasy Outlook: James is a guy that could go higher than he should based on name and positional value. I’d be weary of making that mistake, as James looks like a middling fantasy asset whose production comes in spurts. As an underwhelming talent who’s limited by his physical attributes, James looks like a late round rookie pick at best.
