Historically, the Alabama Crimson Tide has developed and produced quality inside linebackers who have successfully transitioned into the National Football League. C.J. Mosley, Dont’a Hightower, Reggie Ragland, and the late Derrick Thomas, headline the list of players who have played a significant role for Alabama and impacted the teams they played for in the NFL. Dylan Moses has a chance to be the next Crimson Tide LB primed for the NFL Draft spotlight in 2021.
Dylan Moses NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Linebacker
- School: Alabama
- Current Year: Senior
- Height: 6’1 3/4″
- Weight: 235 pounds
Tony Pauline’s Dylan Moses Scouting Report
Positives: Underrated linebacker coming off a somewhat disappointing campaign. Plays with outstanding awareness and instincts, and remains disciplined with all his assignments. Athletic, covers a lot of area on the field, and shows tremendous range in both pursuit and coverage. Fluid, flows to the action laterally, and takes proper angles.
Efficient, gets out into space to make plays, and wraps up tackling. Breaks down well, does an outstanding job using his hands, and is rarely off his feet. Fluid pedaling in reverse. Does not bite on ball fakes and does a great job quarterbacking the defense.
Negatives: Seemed to lose some explosion after his 2019 injury. Was not the same playmaker last year as he was in previous seasons. Out-positioned from the action by blocks.
Analysis: Moses was often criticized last year for not being a big playmaker, yet he was a disciplined defender with a great head for the football. He does not make many “wow!” plays, rather Moses is consistently productive against the run and in coverage. I expect him to be underdrafted in April, but I feel Moses has starting potential at the next level in a variety of schemes.
Dylan Moses Player Profile
Dylan Moses was an elite high school recruit. Now, he’s arguably an elite NFL Draft prospect. Depending on where you were looking back in 2017 during the recruitment process, you’d see him ranked all over the top 50 recruits nationally.
Moses’ story is a unique one. He became a national storyline in just eighth grade when both Louisiana State and Alabama offered him scholarships, which eventually resulted in the young phenom landing on the cover of ESPN The Magazine.
Moses and his dad’s tutelage
The relationship Moses has with his father, at least on the surface, is reminiscent of the relationship Earl and Tiger Woods had. Both young boys were no-nonsense, shy, and driven to succeed in their sport. Similarly, their fathers were the drill sergeants, demanding perfection in their collective pursuit of greatness.
“You can say, ‘You drill your son too hard, and all you want is for him to go to college and then go to the pros.’ Okay, I’m guilty. Yeah, I’m hard on him. Yeah, schools want to offer him a free ride to college. It sounds like the worst thing ever, doesn’t it?”
His father, Edward, wasn’t shy about it. It can be a dangerous arrangement for familial structures. Many young men and women burn out from the sport they excelled in at such a young age. But Dylan remained laser-focused throughout his time in high school, repeating an early-morning workout consisting of 400 pushups, 800 sit-ups, 10 minutes of jump rope, and a one-mile run before the sun rose near his home in Baton Rouge.
Injury derails Moses at a pivotal time in his Alabama career
Moses was well on his way to being a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft following a productive first two seasons with the Crimson Tide. He racked up 15.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks in addition to showcasing some coverage ability with an interception as a freshman.
However, his junior season ended abruptly before ever taking a snap. In late August 2019, Moses tore his ACL during a practice session. The injury forced him to miss the entire year. Despite this, he was still highly projected as a 2020 NFL Draft prospect but ultimately returned to Alabama for the 2020 college football season.
Although he showed some signs of the outstanding talent that arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2017, there were also times where he appeared to have lost the athleticism that made him a highly touted recruit. However, he was still a valuable contributor on a National Championship winning Alabama team. He ended his career with 192 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks.
Dylan Moses’s best fits in the NFL leading up to draft
Honestly, it doesn’t really matter. Any coach will look at that type of athlete and salivate. No matter his role in the NFL, this young man should find success, even as a MIKE that has to come downhill and take on a ton of blocks. His work ethic is well documented. He’s going to figure it all out. When he does, he may prove to be an NFL Draft bargain with a current second day projection.
But an ideal fit would be in defenses running more multiple fronts, using linebackers as rushers. He could be a legitimate outside linebacker that puts on some more weight and becomes a pass rusher that drops back into coverage occasionally. Yet, that would feel like a waste of his sideline to sideline ability.
Some of the documented teams who may need a potential plug and play linebacker are the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns. Additionally, the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, and Las Vegas Raiders, could have interest in Moses throughout the draft process.
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