The Detroit Lions have been busy, but some trends have begun to develop with the type of cornerbacks they like in this draft class. Having already met with Kevin King of Washington, Ahkello Witherspoon of Colorado, and likely Witherspoon’s teammate Chidobe Awuzie (They attended his pro day), the team had already met or watched three of the top rated athletes in this draft class. They’ve added a fourth in UCLA’s Fabian Moreau last Monday, reported by Tony Pauline.
The #Lions have now also met with Fabian Moreau, per Tony Pauline. That's 3 corners and a safety who measured a 9.6 and up for #RAS. pic.twitter.com/l0yrR5fsTu
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 22, 2017
Moreau currently holds the second highest Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of this year’s cornerbacks, behind only Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore. Moreau unfortunately injured his pectoral while performing the bench press at his Pro Day on 3/21 and was unable to complete drills for teams. It is now being reported that Moreau suffered a torn pectoral muscle, which usually carries a recovery time of 4-6 months.
Still, elite size, speed, and explosion paired with above average agility numbers make an impressive athletic profile for teams to look at while deciding who to draft in the early rounds.
The former Bruin uses his size and length to limit where opposing quarterbacks can throw the ball. That would be useful even if it were the only tools at his disposal, but he also adds click and close speed that can make him useful in both man and zone coverage schemes. Moreau seems to have a good head of when to gamble and does a solid job reading both the opposing quarterback and the receiver he’s covering to disrupt the passing game. He’d be an excellent addition to the Detroit Lions secondary, assuming recovery from the injury goes well. We’ll see on draft day how the torn pectoral affects his draft stock.