Jamaal Charles was, at one point, arguably the best running back in the NFL -- or at least the most promising. The former third round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs averaged a historically high 6.4 yards per carry just a season ago in a year that the Chiefs led the NFL in rushing. In the process, Charles became the most dynamic young back in the league and seemed capable of breaking 2,000 yards if given enough carries. Fast forward one year and he's coming back from a season-ending injury.
Thus, the Chiefs are crossing their fingers that Charles can come back next season healthy and back to his old self. If not the Chiefs are going to have a hard time moving the chains without a dynamic quarterback. That's why some mocks have the Chiefs taking Trent Richardson with the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Mocking the Draft is the latest to post a mock that reads as such:
Jamaal Charles is coming off a serious knee injury, Thomas Jones is old and Jackie Battle is mediocre. The Chiefs will likely remain a run-heavy team under now full-time coach Romeo Crennel. Richardson is an elite RB prospect with an excellent combination of vision, power and athleticism. While RB doesn't make sense for a lot of teams in the 1st round, the Chiefs would greatly benefit from having a talented back like Richardson. If Charles comes back healthy, the Kansas City running attack would be a real force to be reckoned with.