Jimmy

Moreland

Moreland (5'10"/179) went through plenty of peaks and valleys during his time at James Madison. He was dismissed from the team following an arrest for petty larceny in 2016 but returned as a walk-on the following year and managed to stay out of trouble for the rest of his JMU tenure. On the field, he was a ball-hawk, racking up 18 interceptions including six he returned for touchdowns. A consensus FCS All-American in 2018, Moreland could be a nice find for the ‘Skins, especially this late in the draft.

Jeremiah labeled Moreland (5'11/175) as one of his favorite “late round guys” and a “ballhawk with outstanding play speed.” Moreland was thought by many to be a Day 2 selection but still remains on the board heading into Day 3. Jeremiah adds that Moreland could move to safety in the NFL and “get his hands on a bunch of footballs.” Moreland should be selected early on Day 3.

This isn’t a hot take at all. In fact, most draft analysts would agree. However, Moreland (5'11/175) is still an intriguing mid-round corner prospect. At his pro day this week, Moreland ran the 40-yard dash in the 4.38-4.44 range and he was oft-mentioned as a winner during Senior Bowl practices.

Strong times for Moreland, who was rated by many as one of the NFL Scouting Combine’s biggest snubs after he didn’t receive an invitation. He was routinely mentioned among the winners at the corner position after his week of the Senior Bowl, and Pauline stamped him with a middle-round pick in January. Expect more teams to be turning on Moreland’s tape after that performance.

Moreland (5'11/175) excelled during Senior Bowl practices after being added to the roster late, but despite his impressive work back in January, the NFL passed him over for Indianapolis. Writes Solak, “Teams looking for nickel corners will love Moreland’s aggressiveness and ball skills at his size, but they won’t get to see if he meets the testing thresholds they like out of their slot guys.” Following the Senior Bowl, Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline tagged Moreland as a middle-round pick. That could still be in the cards, though the lack of a combine invite does increase the degree of difficulty, here.

Moreland (5'11/175) was a very late addition to the roster after Jonathan Abram of Mississippi State was unable to participate, but he’s certainly held his own. Pauline cites Moreland’s ball skills (he had 18 picks for the FCS power in his time there), and that he also has the ability to stick with receivers. South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel said that he was the top corner he went against this week, and while there are some size concerns, there’s no question that Moreland has improved his stock with his play in Mobile.

Coming from Deebo, that is high, high praise, as Samuel has been one of the clear winners of the week, putting in several dominant practices. Moreland (5'11/175) has held him in check at points, though, impressive considering that he was a late add to the Senior Bowl roster, replacing Mississippi State’s Johnathan Abram last-minute due to a medical concern for the Bulldogs defensive back. The James Madison standout earlier made noise with a respectable Shrine Game showing. Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline has heard some comparisons to former Jets CB Aaron Glenn in terms of build and skill-set.

Mississippi State defensive back Johnathan Abram won’t be able to play in the game due to a medical issue, so Moreland gets the call. He had eight picks and 22 pass deflections in 2017, and teams shied away from him in 2018 because of his ball-hawk school and he was still able to intercept five passes. He currently projects as a Day 3 pick, but he impressed at the East-West Shrine event, and could see his stock rising.

Moreland has been a defensive play-maker for James Madison for years, but he’s been on the NFL Draft radar for two years now after big 2017 and 2018 seasons. In 2017, Moreland had eight interceptions with 22 pass deflections, and teams began to shy away from him completely in 2018. That didn’t stop Moreland from picking off five passes and batting down 15 others, so this East-West Shrine Game invitation was well earned.