UCLA Football: NFL Draft Profiles-Fabian Moreau

As we continue our 2017 NFL Draft Profiles, GoJoeBruin.com breaks down one of the top corner prospects in this year’s draft, Fabian Moreau.

If you’ve been following UCLA Football through the Mora era, then you’re likely familiar with the NFL Draft hype that accompanied cornerback Fabian Moreau.

A former running back, Moreau was moved to the defensive side of the ball and although raw, quickly showed the tools to be an NFL caliber corner.

Even though he missed most of 2015 with a Lisfranc injury, he bounced back with his best defensive season to get his named being tossed around by scouts as a possible first round pick.

Positives

Moreau has a long, muscular build. Measuring a hair, and I do mean a hair, under six feet at the Shrine game, he has the height to match up with some of the bigger receivers in the NFL today. He carries his 205 lbs. incredibly well and doesn’t run like a corner with that kind of size.

Bringing over the physicality of a former running back he understands how to use the sideline as another defender and squeeze receivers to the boundary forcing QB’s to throw a perfect ball for a completion.

In the run game Moreau is wiling to stick his nose into the pile or cut down ball carriers as they approach.

He doesn’t have elite speed but I wouldn’t put his speed any slower than 4.5. He does have a burst to recover and almost bait QB’s into throws. Most QB’s didn’t bite on that bait in 2016. However when they did, he had the smarts and the athletic ability to make them pay.

Given his size and ability to play physical at the line, Moreau is a prototypical starting corner in the NFL

2016 really was his best year with 12 passes broken up and two interceptions on limited targets.

Negatives

Although he did return from injury in 2016, Lisfranc injuries can be really tricky and it will have to be monitored as the draft process goes on.

Despite being a former offensive player, Moreau does not have much production in terms of creating turnovers. It took until his senior year before he recorded any interceptions. It was not for lack of trying either.

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Moreau is still more raw than some of the other corner prospects as well. He learned more how to more effectively use his tools and improve his technique during his lost 2015 season but the learning curve at the next level will be even more steep.

Moreau also did not track the top receiver but did move from side to side depending on offensive alignment. Still, the fact that he did not always line up across from the top receiver will be a talking point.

Final Analysis and Prediction

Moreau finally lived up to the billing that the UCLA coaches put out there almost as soon as he stepped on the field to play corner. Much of that was due to the work he put in and the coaching of UCLA defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin.

Given his size and ability to play physical at the line, Moreau is a prototypical starting corner in the NFL. Even without the interceptions behind his 50 starts, he can come onto a roster and immediately improve the defense.

Next: NFL Draft Profiles-Jayon Brown

I expect Moreau to be drafted in the first two rounds but isn’t limited to zone or man. He has the ability to play off man and the burst to close the distance on underneath throws but enough speed to carry his man downfield. While he is a little raw, there are plenty of signs that indicate he can be a starting corner very soon in the NFL.

Projected Team Pick-Seattle Seahawks