It appears rookie safety Malachi Moore made quite the first impression on Aaron Glenn So much so, that the New York Jets coach didn't even need to be asked a question about the fourth-round pick before showering him with praise during his daily media availability Monday.
Unprompted when discussing another player on the first day of tackling drills, Glenn said this about Moore, "Young fella. Two-seven (Moore's number). He is going to be a hell of a player in this league. I'm not going to tell you who I compare him to, but he's going to do some really good things for us."
Considering the source, that's some massive praise for the No. 130 overall pick in this year's draft. Not only is Glenn the head coach of the Jets, but he was a first-round pick in the 1994 draft and a stud defensive back for 15 seasons in the NFL, eight with the Jets, and a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
Glenn not only played in the defensive backfield, he was a star. Then he went on to coach the position for several NFL teams. So, yeah, when he's this fired up about a particular player, you sit up and take notice.
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It was clear at the draft that the Jets valued Moore highly. They traded a fifth- and sixth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles to move up 15 spots in the fourth round to snag Moore, who played four years at the nickel position under Nick Saban at Alabama before switching to safety last year.
Though a bit undersized (5-foot-11, 197 pounds), Moore loves to hit. The 23-year-old had 214 tackles, including 16 for a loss in his collegiate career. Pro Football Focus handed him a 75.5 grade against the run last season. And though not the quickest d-back, he had an excellent 89.4 coverage grade.
Considering the Jets are pretty thin at the position and how highly the head coach praised him, might we see Moore start Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers ?
"I'm not saying it's at a starting level. It can be. He's out there competing, and we're seeing if he can get a job. And he understands that," Glenn explained.
"But there are other things that we can do with that player, on special teams an in certain defensive packages where he's going to excel."
Andre Cisco , a fifth-year pro signed as a free agent this offseason, is expected to be one of New York's starting safeties. But there should be a battle next to Cisco, where undrafted free agent Tony Adams is coming off a down year in 2024 after emerging as a rookie starter himself in 2023.
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