The Las Vegas Raiders wasted no time taking safety Trevon Moehrig with the 43rd overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. After all, it’s possible that they didn’t expect him to be available in the second round. Besides the fact they might’ve gotten a steal, they got a player with the potential to become a factor in 2021. Moreover, his former college head coach spoke glowingly of him.
During a recent appearance on The Morning Grind, TCU head coach Gary Patterson highlighted Moehrig’s character, drive, and how talented he is. He says football is really important for the safety. In fact, it’s been a dream for him to play. The head coach adds that Moehrig understands the physicalness of the game and has the attitude you want to have. Furthermore, he knows what it means to be a Raider, and has a high ceiling.
Later in the sit-down, Patterson mentioned Moehrig is comfortable in his own skin and doesn’t need anybody else to make him happy. He’s the kind of player you want many of, “he wants to win, he wants to play good defense”. Also, he can play special teams, so he can make the Raiders roster better, according to the TCU head coach.
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Trevon Moehrig should have an immediate impact on the Raiders
Safety was a pressing need for the Raiders ahead of 2021’s draft. In fact, you could argue, it’s been a weakness of theirs for a while, one they haven’t really addressed. Johnathan Abram was inconsistent last season and even if he’s able to turn the corner in 2021, Las Vegas needs someone to line up next to him. They brought back Karl Joseph this offseason but it’s uncertain how much he can bring to the table, so taking a safety early in the draft looked like a no-brainer.
Little did they know Moehrig would be still on the board in the second round. Of course, Patterson is going to speak highly of him, as he is trying to bring attention to TCU but his endorsement sounded sincere and the tape backs his assessment up. Due to the talent level that the Raiders have at safety, the Texas native will likely be a Day 1 starter. The Raiders just moved on from Jeff Heath and Dallin Leavitt is more of a special team player. The path for Moehrig to start in the season opener won’t be rough.
Looking back, the Raiders came out of the draft with a solid haul. They addressed most of their roster needs and ended with a few potential difference-makers. If their secondary shows improvement in 2021, Moehrig will have likely played a big role.
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