Okay folks, let me tell you about how I broke down Derrick Moore’s game this week. Started simple – pulled up every single snap from his last season. Grabbed my tablet, a cold beer, and camped on the couch for two whole evenings. Hit rewind so many times my thumb got sore.
The Tape Grind
First things first – I watched every damn run play twice. Noticed Moore absolutely eats double teams for breakfast. That dude just plants his feet and doesn’t budge. Saw him stand up two offensive linemen simultaneously against Alabama – crazy stuff. His hand fighting? Brutal. Just swats away blockers like they’re annoying flies.
Finding Explosiveness
Then I focused on third downs. Man explodes out his stance like he’s been shot from a cannon. Found seven clips where he got pressure in under 2.5 seconds. That speed-to-power move he does? Quarterbacks just crumple when he connects. His motor never quits either – watched him chase down a screen play 20 yards downfield in the fourth quarter of a blowout.
Red Flags Emerge
But here’s where things got interesting. Started noticing real problems when he has to think. Play-action fakes? He bites almost every time. Counter plays going away from him? Takes him forever to disengage and pursue. Counted twelve missed tackles on outside runs because he overcommits.
His pass rush toolkit’s basic too:
- Relies way too heavy on that bull rush
- Almost never uses a swim or spin move
- Hands get lazy after first contact
Gets neutralized quick against technical linemen.
Putting It All Together
After re-watching critical downs, the verdict’s clear. Took my notebook and scribbled: Day 1 run stuffer, third-round pass rusher. He’s gonna wreck inside runs immediately but that pass rush? Needs serious development. That bend around the edge ain’t natural – he’s stiff as a board changing direction.
Final gut feeling? He’ll make some defensive coordinator real happy on early downs. But if your team drafts this kid expecting sacks? Better grab some patience – gonna be a long project teaching him counters. Still – can’t teach that power. Dude’s a brick wall with legs.
