Mario

Fannin

Undrafted a year ago, the 5'11/235-pound Fannin ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the Combine. He was arguably the team’s best running back in camp, but an ankle injury landed him on I.R. The Broncos will run the ball a lot less with Peyton Manning under center, but there is still room for Fannin to earn snaps. Willis McGahee will turn 31 early in the season and Knowshon Moreno hasn’t lived up to expectations. Add Fannin to your fantasy sleeper list.

Ball earned the coaching staff’s trust as a passing-down complement to McGahee late last season, so it’s no surprise that he’s ahead of Knowshon Moreno (ACL surgery) and raw rookie Ronnie Hillman. Size-speed project Mario Fannin, returning from an ACL injury of his own, also saw snaps with the second-team offense.

Reports last August suggested Fannin went on I.R. due to an ankle injury, but beat reporter Jeff Legwold confirms it was a torn knee ligament. Fannin is taking part in OTAs now, and remains an intriguing size-speed project at 5-foot-11, 231 with 4.37 wheels. He’ll be a player to monitor closely in training camp.

An undrafted free agent out of Auburn last season, Fannin missed his entire rookie year with a torn ACL. The 5-foot-11, 224-pound back ran a sizzling 4.38 40 at the Combine, but he won’t rediscover that speed with both a torn ACL and Achilles to his name before his 25th birthday. Fannin’s brief career is likely over.

If this is as serious as it sounds, it would be devastating for a player who missed the entire 2011 season after tearing his ACL almost exactly one year ago. Fannin went undrafted last year, but ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the Combine and was arguably the team’s most impressive running back in camp. Denver will proceed with Willis McGahee, Lance Ball, and Ronnie Hillman at tailback.

Fannin was a popular deep sleeper due to his outrageous Speed Score coming out of Auburn, but he’s proven a brittle NFL back, missing his first season with a torn ACL and now his second with the torn Achilles’ tendon. The odds are now against Fannin ever playing an NFL snap. The injury improves the chances of former No. 12 overall pick Knowshon Moreno keeping a roster spot in Denver. Willis McGahee will be the starter, with Ronnie Hillman, Moreno, Lance Ball, and Jeremiah Johnson vying for complementary snaps.

The 2011 undrafted free agent has yet to play a down thanks to a 2011 torn ACL and 2012 torn Achilles’ tendon. Even if he was healthy, he was never going to survive the numbers game in Denver. Injuries have likely wrecked Fannin’s shot of ever stepping onto an NFL field.

Fannin was third on the depth chart at Auburn, but he just got a lot more interesting to NFL teams. At 5'10" and 231 pounds, his speed score is downright exceptional. Fannin is Auburn’s all-time leader in catches and receiving yards by a running back, so he could be an outstanding third-down back at the next level.

Fannin has a top-end combo of size (5'10/231) and speed (4.38), which makes you wonder why he rarely saw action as a ball carrier at Auburn. He did set the Tigers’ all-time records for receptions and receiving yards by a running back. Built well to hold up in pass protection, Fannin profiles as a third-down back. That happens to be an area of strength for Knowshon Moreno.

Fannin injured his ankle in training camp Friday. An undrafted free agent out of Auburn, Fannin is a burner with good size (5'10/231). He should get a second chance somewhere next offseason.