49ers 2018 rookie spotlight: Defensive back Tarvarius Moore
The San Francisco 49ers selected defensive back Tarvarius Moore in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Niner Noise takes a deeper look at the Southern Miss standout and his role with the team this upcoming season.
General manager John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers may have found another mid-round steal during the 2018 NFL Draft. His name is Tarvarius Moore.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Moore instantly provides a huge boost to the 49ers’ secondary unit. Pro Football Focus ranked the Southern Miss product as the third best safety prospect heading into the draft.
Despite not starting a game until his senior year, Moore stood out with 87 total tackles and three interceptions in 2017.
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2016 | Southern Mississippi | CUSA | JR | DB | 9 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| *2017 | Southern Mississippi | CUSA | SR | DB | 13 | 59 | 28 | 87 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 54 | 18.0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Career | Southern Mississippi | 70 | 34 | 104 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 54 | 10.8 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/4/2018.
Moore also garnered attention for his remarkable performance during Southern Miss’ Pro Day. His biggest highlight was running the 40-yard dash twice in 4.32 seconds.
Though, his results for other drills such as the broad and vertical jumps were just as impressive.
Tarvarius Moore is a crazy athlete pic.twitter.com/RTJMDEDOIW
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) April 28, 2018
From watching his film from college and his effort during his pro day, San Francisco simply could not pass up on Moore.
“I think the 49ers got a steal. He’s a kid that’s going to get better and better. His athleticism is off the charts,” Southern Miss head coach Jay Hopson said of Moore on the 49ers Studios Podcast. “I think ‘T’ is going to be an All-Pro one day, I really do.”
Tarvarius Moore’s Strengths
One of the biggest things the 49ers have added this year is speed. And Moore possesses just that.
Along with his fast 40-yard dash time, Moore proved his rare speed throughout his time in college. He has shown he can keep up and defend receivers in man coverage and even effectively play as a slot corner at times.
Moore also possesses a unique combination of size and explosiveness that is ideal for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense. With his height and length, Moore can match up against some of the NFL’s bigger receivers such as the Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Mike Evans.
Aside from his coverage skills, Moore has displayed his physicality and willingness to tackle as well. He has proven his strong pursuit and hard-hitting traits especially in run support as a safety at Southern Miss.
The 49ers also liked Moore’s versatility to play either the safety or the cornerback spot. This gives San Francisco more freedom in finalizing its secondary unit before the 2018 regular season begins.
San Francisco 49ers
Tarvarius Moore’s Weaknesses
Despite his incredible athleticism, Moore still needs to bulk up especially now that he is transitioning into the pros.
Prior to draft day, Moore only recorded seven bench-press repetitions, according to Mock Draft Table. In addition, scouts believed Moore needed to add more mass and muscle to his frame coming out of college.
Thus, Moore would need to work on his strength this offseason.
Because he mostly played as a safety and as a slot corner in Southern Miss, Moore also has limited experience as an outside cornerback.
Lynch mentioned that Moore will start off at the corner position as a rookie. And so it is crucial for Moore to acclimate himself to not just Saleh’s defensive system but playing as an outside cornerback as well.
How the 49ers will use Moore in 2018
Although Moore is transitioning into the cornerback position, his versatility allows him to move around the backfield during the 2018 season. The 49ers can easily plug him in either the safety or corner spot depending on the team’s defensive needs each week.
But, because of his size and length, it is ideal for Moore to play outside cornerback. He would provide solid depth behind likely starters Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon.
With his experience at safety, Moore would also serve as a formidable backup to either Adrian Colbert and Jaquiski Tartt.
Moore’s long speed and instincts would also make him effective in special teams coverage. His acceleration would allow him to catch up to opposing returners and prevent any big gains.
Next: 49ers rookie spotlight: What to expect from WR Dante Pettis in 2018
Being able to play multiple positions is a trait many NFL teams look for nowadays and San Francisco landed a player who can do just that in Moore. Especially with his athleticism and coverage skills, Moore is set to have a big role in the 49ers’ secondary in 2018 and beyond.