2008 Impact Rookies

By Rick "Snake" Arnold

 There will be speculation galore on who is a sleeper and who will break out but let's be honest...there are only a handful of true impact rookies each season. Weeding out the Dwayne Bowe's from the Dwayne Jarrett's is where the fantasy money is made. If you're truly talented, you can unearth the next Tom Brady or Terrell Davis and steal him CPT late in your drafts. For those of us without that crystal ball, let's just weed through all the hype and speculation and get to the nitty gritty of the true impact players of 2008.

1. RB Darren McFadden-Arkansas:  Unless you live under a rock, you know all about this guy and the home run ability he brings to the table. He doesn't run as tough or punishing as Adrian Peterson but he brings an extra gear to the table that Peterson doesn't. You'll hear all the talk about his smaller lower body and how he goes down too easily...don't buy it. That talk is not coming from any of the SEC defenders that caught one of his stiff arms to the jaw and watched him fly down the sidelines to the endzone. He'll be a top 5 pick and a starter from day 1 no matter where he lands. If he slides by Oakland and lands on the NY Jets, Thomas Jones should reserve his slot on the bench right now.

2. RB Rashard Mendenhall-Illinois: Big shocker...another running back. This year's RB class is LOADED. Mendenhall has shot up the charts with killer workouts at the combine. He's that tough workhorse runner that has great balance and keeps his legs churning between the tackles. He also has just enough giddy-up to break the big one when he bounces outside. He's your blue collar stud RB who has upside we haven't even seen yet. You'll hear the downside that he only started for one season and spent that in a spread offense...yeah, yeah. We know. The fact that he shredded opposing defenses all season long to include an almost NFL caliber USC defense in the Rose Bowl showed me all I needed to see.

3. RB Jonathan Stewart-Oregon: Stewart was a well kept secret until this last season when he finally took over as the full-time starter and was able to play the entire season without one of those nagging injuries that seem to slow him. As we speak, Stewart is recovering from toe surgery which is causing his draft stock to slip. Don't let all that fool you for one second. How many 235 lb RB's with incredible vision do you know that can run a 4.45? This guy has amazing vision, very quick feet and can run strong. He's Jamal Lewis with better feet and vision. Anyone who truly follows the college game knows just how good this guy is. If he can avoid those little nagging injuries, he'll be an absolute stud in the NFL. If not for those injuries, a case could be made for him to be the #1 RB taken in this draft...he's really that good. Should he land in Houston as some predict or even Seattle, his impact will be felt instantly.

4. RB Felix Jones-Arkansas: Two running backs from the same school in the top 4? It can't be can it? Yup. Felix Jones is the lightning to McFadden's thunder. Felix is a pure home run hitter. How else do you average over 8 yards a carry and rack up 1000 yard seasons as the #2 RB on your college team? Jones made every run count as he played second fiddle to the Heisman hopful McFadden. You get this guy in space and he has great vision and home run quicks to take it to the house. He excels as a kick returner as well so the NFL teams are drooling. All the early predictions have the Cowboys taking him in the first round. If that happens and he gets paired with Marion Barber III, that will be the most explosive 1-2 punch backfield in the NFL. This kid is that good. Jones will not be a 25 carry a game RB so don't expect it. What he will do with 15 carries will blow you away...just ask the SEC defenses.