Rookie Profile - Week 6

  Posted 10/13 by Jeff Tefertiller, Exclusive for Footballguys.com

Player: Knowshon Moreno

College: Georgia

Drafted: 1st round, 12th overall

College Stats

College Highlights

2007 - Freshman Year

Moreno redshirted in 2006, but returned in 2007 as a redshirt freshman. After a great spring, Moreno shared time with Thomas Brown as the starting running back in the season opener against Oklahoma State. Moreno totaled 770 yards on 12 carries with two receptions for 51 yards in the 35-14 win. In the following game against South Carolina, Moreno saw most of the rushing duties with 14 carries for 104 yards in the 12-16 loss. In the third game of the season against Western Carolina, Moreno scored his first career college touchdown in a 45-16 win over Western Carolina. His totals on the day were 94 yards on 13 rushes with one touchdown.

Entering the Bulldogs' game against Vanderbilt, it was announced that Georgia's starting tailback Thomas Brown would be sidelined with a broken collarbone. Moreno was elevated to starting tailback in Brown's place and responded with 157 yards gained on the ground in a tight 20-17 Bulldog win.

In the following week, he continued his impressive season with 188 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 33 carries as Georgia defeated its rival, Florida. Against Troy the next game, Moreno rushed for 196 yards, joining Herschel Walker as the only player in Georgia history to rush for 1,000 yards in his freshman season.

Moreno rushed for over 100 yards for the fifth straight game in leading the Georgia Bulldogs to a 24-13 victory over Kentucky while totaling 124 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Moreno is the first Georgia tailback since Herschel Walker in 1982 to rush for over 100 yards in five straight games.

Through the first ten weeks of the 2007 season, Moreno was named the SEC Freshman of the Week three times and SEC Offensive Player of the Week once. He was also named onto the all-SEC first team and was the unanimous SEC Freshman of the Year.

Moreno finished the season with 1,334 yards on 248 carries for 14 touchdowns. He also added 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions.

2008 - Sophomore Year

Knowshon Moreno began his sophomore campaign as a Heisman Trophy favorite. He opened the season with 59 yards on 8 carries for 3 touchdowns and 53 yards on two receptions for a total of 112 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 45-21 win over Georgia Southern. In the following 56-17 win over Central Michigan, Moreno rushed 18 times for 168 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had 3 receptions for 30 yards, totaling 198 yards of total offense in the win. The game also provided Moreno with his highlight reel's iconic moment: a hurdle over an upright CMU defender. In the SEC opener for the Bulldogs against South Carolina, Moreno had 20 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown in the 14-7 win. Next, Moreno and the Bulldogs traveled to Arizona to defeat Arizona State 27-10, led by his 149 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.

However, the Bulldogs undefeated record was broken in a 41-30 loss to Alabama. In the loss, Moreno was held to 34 yards and a score on 9 carries. It marked the first time on the season that he was held under 50 yards rushing and 50 yards of total offense. However, Moreno bounced back in the 26-14 win over Tennessee with 101 yards on 27 carries. However, Moreno was held out of the endzone for the first time on the season.

Georgia then defeated Vanderbilt 24-14 to improve their record to 6-1, with Moreno rushing 23 times for a season-high 172 yards and a touchdown. Moreno added onto his season totals in the 52-38 victory against LSU with 163 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Moreno's totals in the two-week effort was 335 yards and two touchdowns on only 44 carries.

However, Georgia was handed their second conference loss in a 49-10 rout against eventual national champion Florida, in which Moreno was held to 65 yards on 17 carries.

He finished the 2008 season with 1,792 yards of total offense (1,400 rushing on 250 carries and 392 yards on 33 receptions) and scored 18 touchdowns (16 rushing, 2 receiving). He was named the team's offensive MVP. On January 7, 2009, Moreno announced that he would enter the 2009 NFL Draft.

Accolades

2007 Season

At the end of his freshman season, Knowshon Moreno was the unanimous SEC Freshman of the Year, as well as the featured tailback on the Freshman All-American first team, All-SEC first team, SEC All-Freshman team. Moreno was also the Sporting News' Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.

2008 Season

Moreno finished second in Doak Walker award voting, behind Shonn Greene. He was also named 1st team All-SEC for the second consecutive year, and was a second-team All-American selection.

Predraft Measurables

From wikipedia.org.

2009 Production To Date

It took an injury to Buckhalter for Moreno to get his first start. For the season, he has rushed 81 times for 337 yards and a touchdown. Moreno has struggled to break a long gain, with 17 yards as his longest run. The rookie has added eight receptions for 69 yards and another touchdown.

Best Game To Date

With Correll Buckhalter out with an ankle injury this week, Moreno got to see the lion's share of carries for the first time this season. It was easily his best game of the season. Moreno carried the ball 21 times for 88 yards. He added 36 more yards on four receptions. Moreno looked strong and ran well. The one downside was a fumble, making two in consecutive weeks.

Situation In 2009

The Broncos do like Buckhalter, and his speed. He gives the team an added dimension. For this reason, the upside of the rookie might be limited in the short term. Denver is utilizing a balanced attack, and looks to run the ball regularly. Moreno is easily the most talented ball carrier in Denver, but will share the load with Buckhalter when he is healthy. Denver will utilize a committee this year, giving Moreno a larger role as he develops. He is still young and improving, after only playing two years of college football. Expect improvement in future seasons.

Long-term Situation

The Broncos drafted Moreno high to give him a large role in the offense. He should be a 300-touch per season running back that is a better than average receiver. Denver only has Buckhalter, Peyton Hillis, and LaMont Jordan as depth. All three are big injury risks. It is telling that the team has given the rookie back such a large role this early on. They like his talent and will give him plenty of opportunity to be an elite back. Playing in the AFC West opens Moreno up for some big games every season, and should enable him to have a few 1,000-yard seasons.

Potential Upside

Moreno has a high ceiling in terms of fantasy production. He can be a Top 10 fantasy back as early as 2010, as long as Moreno can remain healthy. He runs with authority and speed. Moreno is a remarkable athlete that will be a productive pro.

College Profile from NFL.com

Positives: Tight-skinned athlete with good overall musculature. Good quickness to the hole. Reads the defense and anticipates where the hole, including cutback lanes, will appear. Exceptional lateral quickness and elusiveness in tight quarters. Very rarely tackled by the first defender. Good acceleration past the initial wave of defense and into the secondary. Good spin and stiff arm, and has phenomenal leaping ability to jump over tacklers. Attacks the line of scrimmage and is a tougher interior runner than given credit for. Can drop his shoulders and has good leg drive. Runs through a lot of tackles due to his competitive drive and toughness. Keeps his legs churning and will spin away from tackles. Soft hands for the reception. Natural receiver who poses intriguing possibilities to be split out wide. Good quickness and effort as a route-runner; isn't just a threat on dump-offs in the flat or screens. Provides a pop in pass protection. Extreme competitor who can put the team on his shoulders. Wants the ball with the game on the line.

Negatives: Questionable top-end speed. Lacks the prototype size and bulk some teams are looking for in a bell-cow runner.

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Keep An Eye On

Travis Beckum

Travis Beckum saw extended playing time at tight end for the New York Giants this past week with the ankle injury to Kevin Boss. The rookie from Wisconsin is a very talented receiver and adds another dimension to the Giant offense. He slid to the third round after being injured for most of his Senior season. Beckum is undersized for the prototypical tight end position, but is an excellent receiver. He is a great stash in dynasty leagues. Beckum's weaknesses revolve around being undersized and the number and severity of injuries. If he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for Beckum. The injury to starter Kevin Boss allowed Beckum to see more action.