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Morgan Moses: Could He Be the Future At Left Tackle?

Breaking down Morgan Moses, a Left Tackle in the upcoming NFL draft

By Kyle Posey
Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

It's easy to see how anyone who watches Morgan Moses comes away unimpressed, but it's not for the reasons that really matter. Moses isn't a guy that's going to jump off the tape with incredible strength like Greg Robinson, his pass pro sets aren't exactly a thing of beauty, and he isn't going to maul you in the run game. What Moses does do is get people blocked, he wins, and that's all you can ask from a lineman. Below is a look at his combine numbers.

Metric Moses Average OT at the Combine
Height 6'6 6'5 7/10"
Weight 314 316
Arm Length 35 3/8" 34"
Bench Press N/A 24.77
Vertical 21.5" 27.95
Broad Jump 106" 101.67"
3 Cone Drill 7.93 7.76
20 yard Short Shuttle 4.95 4.75

Where He'll Excel in the NFL

  • Powerful Punch
  • Getting Depth in his pass pro sets/protecting his inside
  • Very Good Length, helps him win
As I stated above, there's not much that jumps out when you watch Moses. Just that he gets the job done. Moses allowed two sacks on the season, and one wasn't really on him. You can certainly see the power in his hands. He gets a good initial pop on defenders, whether it's in pass protection or he's down blocking on running plays.

Moses_medium

Moses1_medium

Moses does a good job of getting depth in the passing game. He doesn't have outstanding foot speed, but takes the proper angle and uses his arm length to his advantage. He was excellent against some of the better speed rushers in college football in 2013. It's so impressive because Moses can hold the edge, without conceding the inside. He doesn't have to overset towards the outside. There were times where the defensive end would try and hit Moses with a hard inside step and he was able to either redirect or mirror them.

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Moses does a good job at getting to the second level. He's by no means a plus athlete at the position, but again, he understands angles and where his assignment is. He also showed that he plays through the whistle and was able to lock on to defenders and finish blocks. For someone who's not as gifted as other lineman in the class, Moses was incredibly effective in every game.

Where He'll Struggle

  • Playing Too High
  • Unknown Against the Run
  • Liability in Space
The biggest issue with Moses is that he's bends at the waist. He often plays upright, which at the next level, could get him into some trouble. You wonder if NFL players will be able to walk him back into the quarterback with a bull-rush, or get him off balance with counter moves. It's something he'll have to fix at the next level.

Moses was good in college at down blocking, but I wasn't sold on him in the running game. Because he stands straight up, I'm not sure his strength will translate. Virginia also didn't feature many pro style type of running plays, so it was hard to get a feel for Moses' ability in the run game(them being down a bunch every game didn't help, either.)

What Virginia did do was run screens. A lot of them. This sort of exposed Moses as a player who doesn't operate well in space. His lack of athleticism was exposed once he was on the move. He wasn't able to stop and adjust to targets. Sometimes when he did get to the second level, he had a hard time finding his assignment or getting a hat on a defender.

Grade/Final Thought

Multiple Pro Bowl Player, Top 10 8.5 – 9.0
Highly Productive Starter, 1st Round 8.0 – 8.4
Very Good Starter, Early 2nd Round 7.8 – 7.9
Reliable Starter, 2nd Round 7.5 – 7.7
Potential Starter in Year 2, 3rd Round 7.0 – 7.4
Backup/Spot Starter, 4th Round 6.5 – 6.9
Productive Backup, 5th Round 6.0 – 6.4
Very Good Backup/STs, 6th Round 5.5 – 5.9
Quality Backup/Good STs, 7th Round 5.0 – 5.4
Backup/STs/Project Player, 7th Round 4.5 – 4.9
Priority Free Agent w/ Limitations 4.0 – 4.4
Non-Draftable
Trait Weight Grade
Run Block 4 3.5
Pass Block 4 3.9
Technique 2.5 2.3
Strength 2.5 2.2
Awareness 2 1.7
Change of Direction 2 1.7
Flexibility 2 1.5
Quickness 2 1.6
Size 2 2
Length 2 2
Moses grades out to an 8.06, or a fringe 1st round talent. The issue for him is bending with consistency, and making contact when he's on the move or at the second level. The bending issue will cause him problems in pass protection against bull rushers as well as generate power in the run game. His technique, hand placement, and ability to win is what you look for in a tackle. I'd have no issue taking him in the 1st round, and he's likely a top 5 tackle in this class. Not flashy, but effective.

How He Fits as a Charger

Moses has versatility, as he's played, and excelled, at both tackle spots. He could be the future left tackle starter, and might unseat King Dunlap in year one, depending on how well he responds to coaching. Dunlap was a guy that couldn't move before he was a Charger, and all the sudden, he showed incredible improvements in that area. I'd expect the same out of Moses. He'd instantly improve the pass protection. Though his run blocking is a work in progress, the strength and awareness is there, so it's only a matter of playing with better pad level.

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