Quarterbacks

• Matt Ryan: The most NFL-ready passer lands on a team in dire need of leadership at the quarterback position. Even if Ryan doesn’t start right off the bat, he should be good for at least 10 to 12 starts.

The collegiate standout is smart and talented enough to eventually hit on a few big plays with speedy wide outs Roddy White and Laurent Robinson. Look for run-oriented offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey to slowly bring along his prized rookie by featuring running back Michael Turner and sticking with safe, high-percentage passes in the early going.

• Brian Brohm: While Aaron Rodgers is a solid talent in his own right, the 24-year-old has a host of durability concerns which may push Brohm into action in his first season.

The former Cardinal is no ordinary rookie in that he’s the son and brother of football coaches who’ve been grooming him to be a quarterback right out of the cradle. The accurate Brohm is a perfect fit for Mike McCarthy’s West Coast system which calls for several short passes.

Running Backs

• Jonathan Stewart: Once Stewart is fully healed from his recent toe injury, there should be no reason why the 5’10” 235-pound tank can’t deliver an instant impact in Carolina’s backfield, where he’ll be working behind a revamped offensive line featuring tackles Jordan Gross and mammoth rookie Jeff Otah.

Change-of-pace back DeAngelo Williams might be good for seven to 10 carries a game, but make no mistake: Stewart will be the centerpiece of Carolina’s ground attack with his powerful and elusive running style.

• Darren McFadden: Justin Fargas is fast, explosive…and very injury prone. Huggie Bear has never stayed healthy for an entire season and there’s no reason to believe that he’ll suddenly find the fountain of durability in ’08, which means that the former Razorback will undoubtedly become “the man” sooner rather than later in Oak Town.

Look for the Raiders to line McFadden up in a number of different ways to take advantage of his burst and home-run speed.

• Matt Forte: The big back finds himself in an ideal situation on a team that seems very eager to relegate the disappointing 2006 first-round bust Cedric Benson to a diminished role. Forte brings extraordinary vision and powerful leg drive to a Chicago offense that has revamped its offensive line with the addition of athletic, but raw offensive tackle Chris Williams.

• Rashard Mendenhall: In a few years, Mendenhall may very well be the best running back out of the 2008 rookie class, but in his first season, the physical back will have to share duties with veteran Willie Parker. Look for the hard-charging bulldozer to be on the receiving end of most of Pittsburgh’s handoffs at or near the goal line. The stout back also has the cutback ability to break off long runs.

• Kevin Smith: Detroit’s new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto is hell-bent on molding his offense into a more physical, run-oriented attack, and rookie Kevin Smith is expected to be the motor of this developing ground game. As a runner, Smith doesn’t have any remarkable skills that jump out at you, but has sufficient quickness to gain serious yardage behind a solid offensive line. The Central Florida product will eventually get the “lion’s” share of carries over Tatum Bell.

Wide Receiver

• Devin Thomas: Thomas joins fellow rookie wide out Malcolm Kelly to add an element of size to Washington’s receiving corps. Thomas’s 4.4 speed and running skills after the catch should make him a frequent target of quarterback Jason Campbell in 2008.

• Early Doucet: The quick LSU product will be looking to make himself useful as Arizona’s slot receiver. Doucet will have a number of opportunities to gain yardage underneath with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin garnering much of the opposition’s attention.

• Dexter Jackson: This small-school playmaker is just what the doctor ordered for a Tampa Bay offense in desperate need of team speed on offense. Jackson’s acceleration can leave entire back seven in the dust.

• Eddie Royal: Denver will soon realize that Royal’s sure-handedness and explosive run-after-catch talent is too hard to ignore. The former Hokie could eventually serve as a third receiver over Denver’s less glamorous backup options at the position.

• Mario Manningham: Arguably the most talented receiver in the draft, Super Mario is a polished route runner and agile athlete that will make an impact in his rookie season.

Tight End

• Dustin Keller: One thing is for certain--Keller wasn’t brought in to help bolster the running attack…the former Boilermaker was drafted to catch the ball early and often. Keller has the speed to outrun most linebackers and should be a matchup nightmare. The pass-catching tight end is also physical enough to be a major asset in the red zone. Just don’t ask him to block.

• Fred Davis: Davis is a playmaking tight end with the speed and skill to find openings in zone coverage. Despite the presence of H-Back Chris Cooley, Davis should be a primary end zone target.

• John Carlson: Not a gamebreaker by any means, Carlson was drafted by Seattle to immediately come in and serve as an every-down tight end. The former Golden Domer is a sure-handed option who can make tough catches in traffic.