Over the last week, the praise for the selection of Trevon Moehrig for the Raiders has been overwhelming. He is constantly being named one of the best value picks in the class and many in the NFL media believe he could be in the running for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2021.
But what makes him such a great fit with the Las Vegas Raiders? In a recent article by ESPN’s Matt Bowen, he explained why the Raiders were a perfect match for the TCU star:
“With coordinator Gus Bradley now running the defense in Vegas, the Raiders needed a safety with post and split-field range to pair with Johnathan Abram. And I see that with Moehring, who can match to inside verticals from a quarters alignment or drive top-down on in-breakers to create ball production.
Only three defenders with at least 500 coverage snaps over the past two seasons broke up a higher percentage of their plays as the primary defender than Moehrig (25%). That speaks to his fit in Bradley’s Cover 3/split-safety scheme, while also pointing to his coverage traits when spinning down over the slot. And with the Raiders releasing veteran Jeff Heath last week, expect Moehrig to play early and often.”
Moehrig isn’t as athletic as Derwin James, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Bradley used him in a similar way. Moehrig can play every spot in the secondary, but his best fit comes when playing as a split-safety in Cover 2 looks.
Coming from TCU, Moehrig already has a ton of experience in Cover 2 and should have no problem making the transition to the NFL. Given the team’s need at the position and his fit, it’s no wonder why so many are bullish about this selection for the Raiders.
