By Charlie Campbell
Weaknesses:
Summary: The 2017 NFL Draft is deep at cornerback and also features a lot of players with medical concerns. Moreau fits both categories as he was a good cornerback for the Bruins when he was on the field. He missed almost all of the 2015 season with a Lisfranc foot injury. Moreau came back to have a quality senior year with 31 tackles with two interceptions and 10 passes broken up. He also played well at the East-West Shrine. Moreau then went on to run faster than expected at the combine, posting an excellent 4.35-second time in the 40-yard dash.
For the NFL, Moreau has man-cover corner skills where he is quick and can run with receivers. He is adept at not allowing separation and running the route with receivers. With quick feet and loose hips, Moreau can turn and run with wideouts downfield. Moreau has the flexibility to play press-man, off-man, and zone coverage. He is also very physical with receivers, to the point that he grabs a bit too much. In the NFL, he will have to find the right balance of battling receivers and avoiding penalties. Moreau could be a quality pro starter, but would be best as a No. 2 corner and may not grow into a Pro Bowl-caliber No. 1 cornerback.
There are things for Moreau to improve on in the NFL. He lacks instincts and never made that many plays on the ball. Moreau also isn’t real sudden and grabs too much on receivers. Addtionally, beyond his Lisfranc history, there are other medical concerns, including an injured pec that he is currently dealing with.
In the 2017 NFL Draft, sources say that Moreau is likely to be a second- or third-round pick. Some have projected him to sneak into the first round, but teams think he is more likely to go on Day 2.
Player Comparison: Bradley Fletcher. Moreau has a similar skill set to Fletcher. Both have athletic ability, but lack instincts. Fletcher (6-0, 200) also is virtually the same size as Moreau. Fletcher was a third-round pick in 2009, and Moreau could go in the second- or third-round range this year.
NFL Matches: Cleveland, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Washington, Detroit, Miami, Oakland, Houston, Dallas and Green Bay
There are a lot of potential fits for Moreau in the early rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft. At the top of the second day, the Browns need a third cornerback, and they could use a defender like Moreau. He would give them an outside corner and let them move Joe Haden into the slot in the nickel. San Francisco and Chicago both need cornerback upgrades, too. None of these teams is likely to use one of the first three picks of the 2017 NFL Draft on a corner, so addressing that need on Day 2 is more likely. Ergo, Moreau could go high in the second or third round.
The Chargers could use a third cornerback to go with Jason Verrett and Casey Hayward. Buffalo needs a corner to replace Stephon Gilmore. The Saints could use more cornerback help for their defense, so they could consider taking Moreau in the second round.
In the middle of the second round. Moreau has a lot of potential landing spots. Philadelphia needs multiple cornerback upgrades and a No. 1 corner. The Colts need another corner to pair with Vontae Davis, and Moreau could be a fit for them. The Ravens could use a corner upgrade to go with Jimmy Smith, while Washington needs a corner upgrade across from Josh Norman.
If Moreau slips to the back half of the second round, there are a lot of cornerback-needy teams. The Lions need to upgrade the position across from Darius Slay. The Dolphins and Raiders need to improve their cornerbacks, too. The Texans also need cornerback help after losing A.J. Bouye. Dallas badly needs cornerback help due to losing Morris Claiborne. The Packers also could use more talent at corner.
RELATED LINKS:
2017 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2017 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2017 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
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