Coming into the draft last year, the Las Vegas Raiders knew they needed help at the safety position. To combat that issue, they utilized their second-round pick to select Trevon Moehrig from TCU. Afterward, Moehrig went on to have a stellar rookie campaign and earned himself some accolades in the process.
The Art of Going Unnoticed
Unless you’re a pass rusher, as a defensive player, the less you’re noticed, the better you’re doing. For players in the secondary, especially, if your name isn’t being called by the announcing crew, you’re probably doing something right. Moehrig often went unnoticed this season, but that shouldn’t take away from his accomplishments.
Pro Football Focus ranked Moehrig 23rd out of all the safeties in the league last year. That’s not an eye-popping number, but it is very impressive for a rookie. As a rookie, safety is one of the hardest positions to learn, considering the fact that it’s a tall challenge to mesh with the rest of the secondary, who are almost always players you’ve never played with before. The secondary is a group that must develop trust with each other to succeed, and Moehrig did a great job of establishing that in just his rookie campaign.
A Steady Hand in the Secondary
Speaking about trust, that’s something his teammates certainly had in him. Moehrig was excellent in the secondary last year, and he saved the Raiders from several big plays down the field. In his rookie campaign, the former TCU Horned Frog repeatedly found himself in the right place at the right time.
One of the most impressive things about Moehrig’s season was his ability to stay on the field. One of the main reasons that he fell in the second round was his injury concerns. With that said, it’s very encouraging to see that Moehrig was on the field for an insane 98.4 percent of all defensive snaps this season. He played 1,152 out of 1,158 snaps this year, good enough for the second-highest percentage in the league.
Think about that for a moment. Essentially, every single time the Raiders’ defense was on the field, Moehrig was out there. What’s more impressive is that he wasn’t just logging empty snaps. Moehrig showed some great coverage skills out there (barring some dropped interceptions, but those will come), and he played some good run defense as well.
Raiders come out in a 2 high scheme. Plays out like cover 2. The pressure from Ngakoue makes this pass late, still great range from Moehrig. Somehow results in chunk gain for LA https://t.co/KqsKcLMg2Y
Raiders will be Comfortable with Moehrig for Years to Come
Ultimately, Moehrig is one of the best young defenders that Raiders’ fans have been able to watch in a long time. He looks calm and collected, even in the biggest moments of the season. Moehrig showed good instincts when it came to both reading the quarterback in pass defense and running lanes in run defense as well. The guy knows the game exceptionally well; he stays calm and is able to stay on the field. Also, he’s pretty talented athletically. What else could you want from a young free safety?
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