21 Jul Preseason Scouting Notes: Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
Redshirt Junior | 6’3” 235 lbs | Alexandria, LA
A remarkable athlete and great tackler who brings versatility to the LB position, but struggles in pass coverage
Overview:
Dylan Moses came to Alabama as a coveted 5-star prospect. In his freshman season, he played as a rotational linebacker and as a special teams standout. In 2018 he started as the second inside linebacker alongside Mack Wilson in Nick Saban’s 3-4 defense. He also lined up as an outside linebacker and had some snaps playing as an edge rusher in a 3 point stance. Moses was taken off the field when the team went into nickel formation. And he did not play in 2019 due to a preseason injury.
Strengths:
– A phenomenal athlete. Has the speed to make tackles sideline-to-sideline
– Fantastic burst. Closes distance in the hole very quickly
– Has the agility and change of direction skill to quell shifty runners in the open field
– Consistent tackler who knows how to wrap and drive
– Has the strength to knock ball carriers back after contact in profile and angle situations
– Has a great first step when blitzing or rushing from the edge
– Has flashed good man coverage skills against TEs
– Takes good pursuit angles in space
Areas to improve:
– An absolute liability in zone coverage. Blows assignments and just looks lost at times
– Not nearly the same linebacker in tight spaces. Has trouble getting off blocks
– Played far too tentatively against Clemson’s misdirection offense
– A bit slow to diagnose plays and react accordingly
– Was not productive as an edge rusher. Needs to develop a pass rush plan to be effective in that role
– Makes mental mistakes often. Needs to improve his understanding of opposing offenses
Injury concerns:
– 2019: Suffered a torn ACL in fall camp. Missed the entire 2019 season
– 2017: Suffered a foot injury before the College Football Playoff. Missed both games
Projection:
Moses is a tough prospect to project because he hasn’t played since 2018. If he didn’t lose any of his explosiveness after his ACL injury, expect him to breakout in 2020, dominate the combine and be selected in the first round. Teams are going to love his speed and how he tackles. He profiles as a player who can play Mike or Will at the next level, and may even be able to rush the passer off the edge occasionally.
What to watch in 2020:
Is Moses fully recovered from his knee injury? If not, he is going to need to learn to play with better anticipation instead of relying on his god-given talent. If he is, he still needs to grow a lot as a linebacker. He’s going to need to prove that he can cover and stay on the field during third downs. He has the speed to be a great coverage player. He just needs to understand his assignments and react better. It will also be worth monitoring whether Nick Saban will give him more reps as an edge rusher. While he lacks the size to play on the edge every down in the NFL, his skill there could give defensive coordinators more options on how to use him on third downs.
Video scout with 2 seasons of experience at PFF, and 3 seasons as a game charter overall.
Received scouting training from of former Browns GM Phil Savage, and former Browns and Saints scout Matt Manocherian.
As a native Clevelander, all I want is for the Browns to win a Super Bowl as winning the Super Bowl with Browns in Madden 181 times still hasn’t filled the void.