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Player Profile - 4.22.09

Pros: With great vision, body balance, and a very creative running style, Moreno is extremely tough for defenders to bring down in one on one situations. He has an arsenal of moves and techniques to elude tacklers. He cuts quickly, jukes fast, spins, leaps, and has a great stiff-arm. Despite a lack of blazing speed, he is a great outside runner and has the ability to turn a short gain into a long touchdown. Moreno is also a very reliable pass catcher and gives a great effort as a blocker. He possesses excellent vision, has the ability to change directions quickly, and you would be hard pressed to find a player who brings more passion and competitive fire to the gridiron than this New Jersey product. Moreno energizes the huddle and is one of the few running backs who provides leadership skills.

Cons: Knowshon lacks the physical features that elite, first-round running backs usually have. He doesn’t have blazing straight-line speed (4.6-40 yard dash) and also lacks the body size and bulk that NFL teams look for in first-round prospects. Because of his lack of size and speed, he takes a lot of big hits which could impact his durability long term. He may fit best in a traditional two-back system.

Scouts Take: Moreno is one of the most exciting players in this draft class. He is a complete back that should be able to help his team out in a number of ways on offense. Look for the former Dawg to go in the middle of the first to late first round. With so many teams going to the two-back system, Moreno is the perfect complement for a team that already has a big, powerful back. The big plus is he doesn’t have to leave the field, regardless of the down or distance.

School Bio

3.20.09 - RB Knowshon Moreno probably had to be a little disappointed as he was only able to run in the low 4.6 range for the 40. Moreno, though, reportedly looked much quicker an instinctive than that time would indicate and also caught the ball well. Moreno’s agents finalized plans for a private workout with the Chargers on March 30.

Apparently Moreno was sick in the days leading up to his Pro Day, but this time isn't going to raise his draft stock and that's good for the teams drafting at the end of the first round. Arizona at 31 seems like a good fit, and none of the teams around that slot needs a running back as badly as the Cards. I'd be surprised if he went much earlier. - All Access Daily Dose: Pro Day Impact & Analysis

2.16.09 - The comparison that is tossed around most when talking about Moreno is Clinton Portis, and it is an accurate one. Like Portis, Knowshon has outstanding vision and the quickness to get to and through the hole in a hurry. He does a good job of setting up defenders on the second level and is very elusive in the open field. I love the fact that Moreno is “hyper-competitve” and wants the ball in his hands during crunch time. He doesn’t have ideal bulk for an every down RB, but Moreno is a gamebreaker and doesn’t require a ton of carries to make big plays. - Draft Guys Report On Knowshon Moreno

2.11.09 - "I will say this, the running back position is one that, everybody knows, if you hold that ball everybody is going to hit you, and everybody is going to try and tackle you. Every time you run the ball you’re probably going to get hit by two or three defenders every single time. So with Knowshon Moreno’s situation, he would have been exposed more than probably any other (player). He probably would’ve been exposed as much, if not more, than Matthew would have been exposed. Again, from what we heard from the NFL people I talked to, most people felt like he (Knowshon) will be a top pick, but things may change, you know, and he may not get drafted there, but the people that I asked, they told me that. My goal when I talk to these guys is to try and tell them the truth, even if the truth is going to hurt. I’ll say: ‘Hey Matt, they think there might be some things that you could get better at, but quite frankly there’s not much out there in that draft right now and you probably will be the first or second quarterback taken in the draft.' So I’m going to tell him what people tell me, and I can spin it the best way for Georgia, but the one thing that we’ve based all of our relationships on at Georgia is trust and honesty. Now there’s other guys on our campus that were thinking about turning pro and I told them what people were telling me about them, and they didn’t like what they heard so much, and felt like maybe they should stay and improve, and that they could make a big jump in their draft-status from one year to the next. I told them that part too, so we tell them all the truth, so they know your credibility is good and they trust what you say." - Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt On College Football Insiders Coaches Corner - All Access Football Radio

1.7.09 - According to several sources, the NFL Draft Bible has learned that Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno will enter the 2009 NFL Draft.

12.29.08 - Not many people had heard of Knowshon Moreno until last October when he rolled over the Florida Gators to the tune of 188 yards rushing and three touchdowns. After that performance, Moreno was on fire. He finished the 2007 season with 1,334 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. The finalist for the 2008 Doak Walker Award has rushed for 1,338 yards and 16 touchdowns this season for the Bulldogs. He has also hauled in 27 passes for 329 yards a one touchdown. Moreno may be keeping his intentions to himself for right now, but has petitioned the NFL Advisory Board for an evaluation. Should he decide to leave school early, he would be a first round selection.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media