Scouting the 2020 NFL Draft: Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama

In the latest installment of our ‘Scouting the 2020 NFL Draft‘ series, we focus on Alabama inside linebacker, Dylan Moses, whose exceptional athleticism will make him one of the prospects with the most upside entering the 2019 season.

The Alabama Crimson Tide has become something of a minor league system for the NFL in recent seasons. A total of 22 players have been drafted from the program over the last two years and the 2019 season is certain to continue that trend.

Dylan Moses is one of the team’s biggest prospects to watch after starting his Crimson Tide career as one of the most sought after recruits in the country. He was a consensus five-star prospect and the No. 5 overall player on ESPN’s rankings during his recruiting season.

Moses appeared in 11 games in 2017 and made two starts. He finished the season with 30 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team for his efforts. Last season, Moses played in all 15 games and totaled 86 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors at year’s end.

Physically, Moses is listed at 6-3, 235 pounds. He needs to add some weight to his frame as his size certainly worked against him at times in 2018. He just wasn’t strong enough at the point of attack to stack and shed more powerful offensive linemen. The good news is he has room to add that weight, and he’s such an explosive prospect that he’ll be a high-end mover even with some added pounds.

Athletically, Moses will have few peers in this year’s linebacker class. He’s a true sideline-to-sideline athlete who can run down just about any skill player in the country. His closing speed teeters on elite and his change of direction skills are more like a running back than a linebacker.

Against the run, Moses flashes the ability to be a heat-seeking missile at the snap of the ball. Few linebackers are as disruptive as he is when he’s able to quickly identify and the design and flow of the play in front of him. The problem, however, is that at this point in his development, he’s slowed down by the mental part of the game. He’s thinking too much, and as a result, he didn’t make nearly as many plays as he could have in 2018.

Moses needs to work on his coverage game, too. Much like against the run, he can look lost at times in his drops. This is something that will get better with experience, and once he reaches the point where he’s playing strictly on instincts, he can be elite.

Overall, Moses has the athletic profile to be a high first-round pick, but his play as a linebacker is more like a Day-2 prospect at this point. I don’t think he’ll end the 2019 season in that range. He should make a significant jump in his ability to read and react, and as a result, his production has a chance to be off the charts. Assuming he gets stronger and can maintain his ground against power (as well as stack, shed and go), he’ll be one of the draft process’s biggest risers.