NFL Draft Recap: Fantasy Football Impact (RB's & TE's)

In the first part of the 2009 NFL Draft Recap we took a look at the top quarterbacks and wide receivers expected to make an immediate fantasy football impact this season.

In the second part we'll take a look at the players who can make the easiest transition to the NFL and the ones who usually have the biggest fantasy football impact in running backs. Not to be outdone, we'll also discuss the top rookie tight ends and how they'll be expected to fare this season.


Running Backs

Knowshon Moreno (Denver Broncos): It was a bit of a shock when the Denver Broncos opted to select running back Knowshon Moreno instead of upgrading at a position of greater need.

It was also surprising considering the Broncos have traditionally found good running backs in the later rounds of the draft. But beyond the surprise of the pick you'll see Moreno has a chance to come in and immediately contribute.

With decent size, Moreno is a good all-around back who can run and catch. The one thing holding Moreno back is the lack of top-end speed, however it did not seem to effect him during his time at Georgia. Thus, the biggest obstacle facing Moreno this season will be the other running backs on the Denver roster.

In no particular order the Broncos have Peyton Hillis, Selvin Young, LaMont Jordan, J.J. Arrington, Ryan Torain, and Correll Buckhalter, all of which have proven they can play well in one capacity or another.

New head coach Josh McDaniels is enamored with Moreno but with all the other running backs on the roster, don't expect a huge rookie season from Moreno.

Chris Wells (Arizona Cardinals): It seems a lot of teams went back and forth with their thoughts on former Ohio State running back Chris Wells, mostly because of his injury history.

After completing his junior season and declaring for the draft, Wells was checked out by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews and returned with a clean bill of health. This didn't prevent Wells from slipping all the way to the 31st pick, where he was selected by the Arizona Cardinals.

With the release of Edgerrin James, and the inconsistent play of Tim Hightower, Wells will have an opportunity to play right away and get a lot of touches in the process. His power running style will serve as a nice compliment to Hightower and playing in the NFC West will also be a boon to the rookie.

Still, the injury concerns are legitimate. Though Wells managed to play through most of them at Ohio State he was rarely 100 percent. If Wells remains healthy through the season, look for him to get around 280-300 touches and 1,200 total yards.

Shonn Greene (New York Jets): The New York Jets thought so much of former Iowa running back Shonn Greene they decided to trade up to the top pick of the third round to select him.

What Greene brings to the table is toughness and physicality. He is a tough inside runner who carried the ball 307 times in 12 games last year for the Hawkeyes, breaking the 100-yard mark every week.

The drafting of Greene likely signals that Thomas Jones is slowing down a bit and the Jets know they can't rely on Leon Washington to be an every-down back. Greene may start the season third in the pecking order in New York but will likely end it as the first.

His production may be limited because of the play of whomever starts at quarterback, as teams know they'll be able to stack the box, so do not get too high on Greene when drafting this year.

Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts): The Indianapolis Colts were another team who surprised many on Saturday when they selected former Connecticut running back Donald Brown with their first round selection, picking him over Wells.

Between Joseph Addai and Mike Hart, the Colts appeared to be in a good position at running back, but the drafting of Brown must signal that Indianapolis is more concerned about injuries to the two incumbent players than it is letting on.

Brown is the type of back the Colts like and, with the lingering injuries to Addai and Hart, he should get a chance to play right away. The question is: How much will he get to play?

Brown will likely start the season as the 2A running back to Mike Hart's 2B, with both of them being behind Addai. As the season goes on expect Brown to be phased into the mix more often but unless injuries take out Addai and Hart, do not expect more than 175 touches from Brown this season.

LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles): The Philadelphia Eagles needed a running back with the release of Buckhalter and got one with the second-round selection of former Pittsburgh Panther LeSean McCoy.

McCoy is the type of back the Eagles love, a smaller who is good with the ball in space and good in the passing game. He's stuck behind Brian Westbrook, who has not proven he can stay healthy through a full season. Because of this expect McCoy to be involved in the offense right away, getting as many as 10-12 touches a game.

However, on the scoring totem-pole, McCoy will fall behind DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Brian Westbrook, Donovan McNabb, and possibly one of the other wide-outs in Philadelphia.

The touches will be there so McCoy will have some value, especially in PPR leagues, but without scoring he might not have a huge impact until next year.

Glen Coffee (San Francisco 49ers): Needing somebody to provide a good complement to starter Frank Gore, the San Francisco 49ers picked up former Alabama running back Glen Coffee in the third round of the draft.

Despite being less than 200 lbs Coffee is a tough inside runner in the same mold as Greene, a guy who does most of his work between the tackles. Displaying good patience and an ability to find the hole is what makes Coffee a good back.

The biggest thing holding him back is his lack of speed, particularly in the open field. While he did have some long runs last year for the Crimson Tide, in most of his games his longest run would be anywhere from 12-17 yards.

He will get a chance to play right away, but will likely yield to Gore or Michael Robinson in the red zone, thus diminishing his fantasy football value.

Andre Brown (New York Giants): The New York Giants may have found a nice sleeper in former North Carolina State running back Andre Brown.

Part of the reason Brown fell to the fourth round was that no one part of his game stood out. He didn't run a blazing 40-yard dash time, and he is not known for breaking multiple tackles on one play or dancing around several tacklers.

What makes Brown good is he's an all-around solid player in every aspect of the game. His has good size, decent speed, and is decent both in the running and passing game. With Derrick Ward gone to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brown will become the third back behind Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.

This may limit Brown this season but the Giants have shown in the past a willingness to play three different running backs, so keep Brown in mind if you're in a deeper league.



Tight Ends

Brandon Pettigrew (Detroit Lions): The Detroit Lions caught some flack for selecting a tight end in Brandon Pettigrew with their second first-round pick instead of upgrading the offensive line.

But Pettigrew will probably be worth it. For anybody that watched an Oklahoma State football game last year, you saw a freak of nature playing tight end. The guy has amazing athleticism for his size and also has a great pair of hands.

He will be counted on to contribute right away as the Lions have no pass-catching tight ends on their roster, and Pettigrew will be a nice safety outlet for whomever starts at quarterback.

Jared Cook (Tennessee Titans): Former South Carolina tight end Jared Cook gained some recognition after the combine for posting an impressive 40 time of 4.50, which was faster than guys like Moreno and Wells.

However, Cook is strictly a pass-catching tight end and nothing else. At 245 pounds, he is not big enough to serve as an extra blocker on the offensive line, and that is not an area in which he much practiced in college playing in the spread offense.

Cook will also be stuck behind Alge Crumpler and Bo Scaife, so do not expect much production from him this season.

Chase Coffman (Cincinnati Bengals): The Cincinnat Bengals made a nice selection with their third-round pick of former Missouri tight end Chase Coffman.

Despite playing in 12 of the team's 14 games last season, Coffman had 90 receptions in his senior season for the Tigers, and that kind of production from the tight end position in college is unheard of.

Coffman is big, athletic, has good hands, and runs good routes. The only thing against Coffman is that he was rarely, if ever, asked to block at Missouri in the spread offense.

While Ben Utecht is currently the Bengals' top pass-catching tight end he dealt with injuries and inconsistency last season. If Coffman can crack the starting 11, then expect some decent production from him this season.

Travis Beckum (New York Giants): Before last season started, Travis Beckum was considered one of the top pass-catching tight ends in college football.

He caught 61 passes as a sophomore and 75 as a junior. He appeared on his way to another good season, but missed the first two games, then broke his leg in the eighth game of the season against Illinois and was done for the year.

The injury was pretty nasty and required a long rehab, which prevented him from doing the combine or private workouts, causing him to fall in the draft. In reality he would've been a first-day pick without the injury.

Kevin Boss is the top tight end right now for the Giants, and Beckum is still recovering from the injury so don't expect much production early on, though it wouldn't be a surprise to see him come on at the end of the season.

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