It's crazy how fast a football player can go from being a lauded star to a picked apart underachiever, but that's the nature of the beast when a college athlete looks to make it to the pros.
And the Oregon Ducks' LaMichael James is no exception.
James had an exceptional three-year career at Oregon but he already has pundits doubting his ability to perform at the next level. Just check the quote from Rotoworld.com's NFL Draft Preview by Josh Norris.
"...He has elite speed, which will immediately help in the return game. But too many of James' big plays on offense involved stretching runs to the sideline or breaking outside, which is significantly harder to do in the NFL. James does not run between the tackles confidently enough to be an NFL featured back."
Ouch. One compliment then a laundry list of ‘can't dos'. And it gets worse.
"He's also shown his thin frame does not react well to hits. James excels at finding a crease and exhibits pinball-like qualities to pick up yards after contact beyond the line of scrimmage, but after a few hits he tends to abandon his running lane for temporarily open field. ...ultimately I think he'll have a Danny Woodhead kind of role and should not be drafted before day three."
Welcome to the world of harsh analysis that is the NFL Draft. For James' sake, let's all hope he proves Norris wrong.