Knowshon Moreno Is the Denver Broncos Main Man

A year ago, Knowshon Moreno was entering the league as a first round selection (12th overall) for the Denver Broncos. After a full season with the team, he managed to total a quiet 947 yards and seven touchdowns.

Despite being so close to the 1,000 yard mark, people only just noticed the rookie rusher.

This year, things will be different.

Moreno was impressive opposite veteran Correll Buckhalter, but he only managed to average 3.8 yards per carry through the year. His game tape, however, shows a runner who is rarely brought down behind the line of scrimmage.

More importantly, when making contact, Moreno keeps moving forward and often manages to gain the extra yard by not being shoved on his back.

There is definitely a level of fight in the sophomore.

Prior to the draft last year, scouts recognized him for his ability to collect yards after the first hit and requiring gang-tackles to take him down.

That ability, coupled with his natural ability to find the hole and blast through it, drew him plenty of attention.

Moreno has a pure, raw athleticism that is backed up by record-setting high school numbers and feature status in college. However, his disappointing 4.6 40-yard dash raised some eyebrows and bumped him out of the top 10 picks, letting him fall to Denver's lap.

His NFL game tape reflects exactly what the scouts noticed.

He's not the fastest, he's not an outright power back, but he is chock full of instinct and toughness.

In addition, he is a positive figure off the field.

Head coach Josh McDaniels obviously values this trait and Moreno's intangibles mentioned above, making the ex-Georgia standout an excellent fit in the new Denver regime.

Moreno has earned the featured spot in the offense.

He is the man.

He can make magic out of the backfield as a receiver and between-the-tackles rusher. He can make something out of nothing in short yardage situations, filling the Brandon Marshall void.

Ryan Clady's potential absence and lack of a down field passing game are the only two major factors holding Moreno back. The latter is a tough one to overcome.

Now, he's no Adrian Peterson and may not be a one-man team, but Moreno is deserving of attention.

He will turn heads in 2010.

Expect Moreno's maturing abilities to yield him a 1,100-plus yard season and roughly 10 touchdowns as McDaniels gains faith in his excellent athlete.