Sunday 22 February 2009

What I'm looking forward to today...

The running backs and wide receivers will be running the 40 yard dash on Sunday, usually the highlight of the combine. We'll see who the real speed guys are - it was this event last year that made Darren McFadden a top five pick and propelled Chris Johnson into the first round.

But the reason I'm looking forward to today is to check on one prospect in particular - Knowshon Moreno. In a combine filled with bad news stories (Crabtree's injury, the Andre Smith farce) the Georgia running back quietly arrived in Indianapolis having added 10 lbs of bulk. The knock on Moreno has mainly been his lack of size and elite speed. Having added a bit more to his 5'11" frame, a fast 40 time could put him into the elite bracket of this year's draft class.

Moreno has been working at Michael Johnson's performance centre and says he's hoping to run a 4.4. Such a time (with the extra weight) will go a long way to diminishing the question marks attached to him when he arrived at the combine. As a true triple threat back (he excels as a runner, receiver and blocker) he could offer a team an instant impact - something the Seahawks have spoken about.

He also managed 25 reps on the bench press this weekend - the same amount that Chris 'Beanie' Wells achieved. The difference is, Wells is 20 lbs heavier. Moreno has an infectious personality, solid production (30 touchdowns in two years) and is starting to show physically he can match up. Could he break into the top ten? I'm looking forward to seeing that 40 time.

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