At the 2009 NFL Rookie Premier Photoshoot in LA on May 16, Upper Deck held a touchdown dance competition. The winner would receive an authentic autographed Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls jersey. there was some stiff competition from guys like Mark Sanchez, Matt Stafford, Jason Smith and Aaron Curry… but ultimately there could only be one touchdown dance champion. Our boy Knowshon Moreno!

Check out his dance and prize acceptance in this video.

With the 12th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft the Denver Broncos selected RB Knowshon Moreno. Traditionally Denver has been a dream team for running backs. I’m a little surprised Knowshon went this high, but that’s great for him. Denver needed a running back and Knowshon was the best at his position.

It will take some getting used to that mile-high air, but really there aren’t many better options for Moreno to go to. This is a great pick and I’m excited for his future in Denver. He could be the next Clinton Portis.

The Jacksonville Jaguars fan site Big Cat Country wrote up a great comparison of Knowshon Moreno vs. Beanie Wells. I highly doubt the Jaguars will draft a running back with the 8th pick… however they could trade down to grab a RB, especially after losing Fred Taylor to the Patriots.

Here’s their take on Knowshon Moreno:

Very agile. Not as fast or as quick as i remembered or heard. He has speed, dont get me wrong. His speed is just not noticeable, it simply works. Now if you take that to a higher level, how great is it? He is a very intelligent runner. He has great field vision. When he is running, he is simultaneously setting the defenders up to allow him to keep going. He is also searching for more yards. A slower Jeremy Maclin in the open field. I say that because they are both searchers and pace themselves to get more yards. Moreno can move around well within a pile. Once he gets out, he will get caught unless he outsmarts the defenders. He is normally able to do that. Moreno wont move the line though.

Knowshon Moreno, who could be the first running back taken in the draft, attracted much attention while posting times of 4.60 and 4.63 in the 40-yard dash. “This atmosphere is not really as stressful as the combine,” Moreno said. “It was good to get here and be with your teammates. It’s more relaxed, but it’s still a work day.” I still think a lot of scouts and coaches are going to be turned off by his slow 40-times. You have to go back to 2000 to find a back chosen in the first round who ran slower than Moreno.

He’s not letting it get to him though. “It’s whatever they want,” Moreno said. “You definitely get a lot out of the running back drills and things like that… But all my stuff is really on tape. They can see what I can do.”

I’m a bit worried. Will team’s ignore the stopwatch and take a chance on him in the first round? If he slides into round 2, I could definitely see the Jaguars taking him near the top since they just got rid of Fred Taylor. Moreno would be a nice compliment for Maurice Jones-Drew.

The University of Georgia Pro Day is coming up in two days. Knowshon Moreno will be there to participate in drills for the NFL Scouts. I’m hoping he can improve on his 40 time and show scouts that he should be the No. 1 ranked running back, and potential top 15 pick in the NFL Draft.

Moreno ran a 4.62 40 at the Combine. That’s pretty bad for a running back. He needs to get that number close the 4.49. I’m not sure if he can do it, but he should be able to shed some time just by running on his home field and without the media spectacle surrounding it.

I’ll be sure to bring you all the stats and news from Pro Day later this week.

On Tuesday, Knowshon Moreno stopped by ESPN for a chat about the upcoming NFL Draft, his experience at the NFL combine and his time with the Bulldogs. According to Moreno’s Scouts Inc.’s draft profile, he is a big character guy, saying that he “immediately took over as a team leader when he cracked the starting lineup as a freshman in 2007. Not a vocal leader but leads by example. Great practice player. Ultra competitive. His relentless style of play is infectious … Feet are seemingly always moving. Displays good ball security. Plays the game with a non-stop motor.”

Here’s a little excerpt from the chat. If you want to read the whole thing visit ESPN here.

Larry (Pasco, WA): What NFL RB is your playing style most like?

Knowshon Moreno: I like watching LT. I like the way that Adrian Peterson runs…probably a combination of both. Maybe a Walter Payton type–he was a great back. I just love the way those guys run the ball.

Jimmy (chicago): Do you feel your 40 time has affected your draft position?

Knowshon Moreno: I’m not really sure. I would have loved to run faster, but I believe I ran really well. Coaches have tape, so they’ll look at that. I’m running at my pro day, so I’m pretty happy with my performance.

Former Georgia Bulldog runningback Knowshon Moreno participated in workouts at the NFL Combine… trying to improve his draft stock. We all knew Knowshon wasn’t the fastest back coming out of college, but he’s strong and has great moves. Knowshon was a bit disappointing though in his 40 times.

From Rotoworld:

Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno ran unofficial 4.55 and 4.63 forty times at the NFL Scouting Combine Sunday.
Moreno reported heavier than expected, and it may have affected his time. While he lacks game-changing speed, Moreno is versatile enough to keep a first round grade. But he can probably forget about going in the top ten now.

The good knews is that there weren’t any running backs that posted a sub 4.40 time. The draft is still several months away and Knowshon will probably participate in Pro Days at UGA. Don’t look too much into his time at the Combine, he’ll still be one of the top 2 running backs taken.

Knowshon Moreno’s time as a Georgia Bulldog is over. Moreno leaves UGA as one of the best running backs in Dawg history and a top NFL prospect. It’s now time to shift this website’s focus to his potential as an NFL athlete. We all know he has potential to be very special at the next level. He wouldn’t have come out early if he didn’t think so himself.

Below are the latest mock drafts and the positions they rank Knowshon. Over the next few weeks/months we’ll analyze this.

Draft Countdown – #21 – Arizona Cardinals

New NFL Draft – #12 – Denver Broncos

Walter Football – #19 – Tampa Bay Bucs

Draft King – #17 – New York Jets

As you can see, most of the mocks have him in the mid 1st round. Knowshon Moreno will either be the 1st or second running back taken… his only other competition is Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells. there are a lot of teams that are in need of a RB. Denver comes to mind, but I doub’t they’d use the 12th pick on him.

It’s official now. Knowshon Moreno has declared himself eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft in April. Moreno has been projected to be drafted in the first round in every single mock draft I’ve looked at. Really there is no surprise he is headed to the NFL.

I’ve always pushed for athletes to make the jump to the NFL if they’re first round material. You just never know when an injury might end your entire career. Take the guaranteed money while you can. College will always be there if you want to go back and finish the 20 hours you need for a degree. Players only have so many earning years their bodies can handle.

Knowshon Moreno may go down as the second best running back Georgia has ever had, Herschel Walker being number 1. The AJC put together a cool timeline of all the major points in Knowshon’s career over the last two year. Check it out.

As for this fan site, just because Knowshon won’t be playing for Georgia doesn’t mean we’re going away. As soon as he’s drafted, we’ll revamp with a new design reflecting his new team colors.

Knowshon Moreno is one step closer to declaring for the NFL Draft. He recently submitted his paperwork to the NFL’s Draft Advisory Board. The committee gives draft-eligible underclassmen, upon request, ballpark estimates about how they are likely to fare in the draft: first-round pick, second-round pick, third-round pick, later-round pick or unpicked. The panel does not estimate how high in a particular round a player might be drafted.

Once a player submits paperwork, the committee typically returns its projection within two or three weeks. The deadline for underclassmen to enter the 2009 draft is Jan. 15.

Knowshon Moreno is one of the most talented running backs coming out of this year (assuming he does). Every mock draft I’ve seen has him going in the first roung (usually in the 20-25 pick range). The 1st round brings guaranteed money, so I don’t see Moreno backing out of his decision now.