Former Georgia standout Knowshon Moreno is one of the highest-rated running backs in the upcoming NFL draft.

One wouldn't know that, however, if dwelling simply on his rhetoric. During various predraft interview opportunities, his answers were polite, reasonably thoughtful but clipped.

Moreno is quick to deflect attention away from himself, such as when he noted that the scouts surely were in Athens, Ga., to watch highly rated quarterback Matt Stafford and not him.

He also knows better.

Stafford might be a highly rated player, but so is Moreno. Tell him that, and he probably will shrug.

At the combine in February, Moreno was asked whether he had a preference as to who drafts him. "It depends on what the team wants — I'll be happy to go anywhere," he said. "They'll be getting a great person. An accountable guy. I will be ready to participate and compete."

Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is quick to dispel the notion that Moreno is a man of few words.

"No, no, no," Bobo said, chuckling. "He might be a little reserved, but that's just his humbleness. On the team, he's got an outgoing personality, energetic, a spark. You can see in the way he relates to everyone on the football team."

Georgia fans fell in love with Moreno two seasons ago when he was a redshirt freshman and rushed for 1,334 yards.

That happened to be the fourth-highest output from a freshman in the storied history of the Southeastern Conference.

Last year was more of the same. After two seasons, Moreno had rushed for 2,734 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Bobo reports that Georgia coaches then became resigned to the inevitable.

No more Knowshon.

"We had our fingers crossed and everything hoping he wouldn't (leave school)," Bobo said, "but, you know ...

"But he was definitely one of the best backs in the country, and this was best for him."

He continued, chuckling, "Best for him, not so much for us."

The thing is, Georgia didn't lose its best running back.

Because, according to Bobo, Moreno is not a running back.

Never mind that Moreno widely is considered as one of the top two "running backs" in this season's buffet, along with Ohio State's Chris "Beanie" Wells.

"I'll say it like this," Bobo said of Moreno. "Sure, he plays running back, but that's not how the coaches here saw him.

"We saw him as one of the toughest guys on the team, a guy willing to do anything at any time. So that's what we thought of Knowshon, not in terms of position but in terms of being a football player."

Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt didn't hesitate to offer his advice when Moreno made public his intentions to leave school early.

Referring both to Moreno and Stafford, Richt said, "Trade up for them, if you're smart.

"I think whichever NFL teams get them will be very excited and very blessed by it. They'll not only be good players, but they'll be good in their locker rooms and good in their communities. They're going to do well."

Various draft tracking firms differ on exactly how well the position of running back will fare this season, at least in terms of selection order.

One general manager who knows a thing or two about Moreno — not to mention Stafford — is the Atlanta Falcons' Thomas Dimitroff.

"They are not in need areas for us," Dimitroff said, "(but) we've had the opportunity to see them quite a bit.

"Not to get into a whole bunch of specifics about players — I don't want to give you my scouting report necessarily — but I think those two guys are going to make a lot of money."