A former Alabama football multi-year starter and Crimson Tide captain is off to the NFL.
Malachi Moore was selected with the No. 130 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft Saturday by the New York Jets .The Jets traded up with the Philadelphia Eagles to pick Moore.
Here's what Moore brings to Jets based on his career at Alabama .
For the past five years, Moore has been at the center of the Alabama defense.
From a freshman season where he started at nickel for a defense that would help win a national championship, Moore saw 381 snaps or more in each of his five seasons with the Crimson Tide per Pro Football Focus. He started at free safety for each of the past two seasons and served as a team captain.
A former four-star safety out of Trussville, Alabama, in the 2020 class, Moore, standing at 6-feet, 201 pounds, was named first-team All-American by PFF in 2024, finishing with a career high in tackles (70), forced fumbles (2) and pass deflections (8).
According to NFL.com, Moore is a versatility piece in the defensive backfield, someone who "can play all safety spots but is more effective in coverage" than helping in run defense thanks to his lacking size and physicality.
Moore could project as either a nickel back or a high safety at the next level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26BDExwJN9M
In five seasons with the Crimson Tide, Moore had 214 tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks. He added seven career interceptions and 25 career pass deflections, including a career high of eight in 2024.
Height:5-foot-11
Weight:196 pounds
Arm length:29 5/8 inches
Hand length:9 inches
Moore did not participate in the NFL combine because he was recovering from a hernia injury.
Here's a look at all the Alabama safeties who have been selected in the NFL draft since 2015:
2025: Malachi Moore (Fourth round, No. 130 overall to New York Jets)
2024: Jaylen Key (Seventh round, No. 257 overall to New York Jets)
2023: Brian Branch (Second round, No. 45 overall to Detroit Lions )
2023: Jordan Battle (Third round, No. 95 overall to Cincinnati Bengals )
2023: DeMarcco Hellams (Seventh round, No. 224 overall to Atlanta Falcons )
2020: Xavier McKinney (Second round, No. 36 overall to New York Giants )
2019: Deionte Thompson (Fifth round, No. 139 overall to Arizona Cardinals )
2018: Minkah Fitzpatrick (First round, No. 11 overall to Miami Dolphins )
2018: Ronnie Harrison (Third round, No. 93 overall to Jacksonville Jaguars )
2015: Landon Collins (Second round, No. 33 overall to New York Giants)
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Malachi Moore NFL draft: New York Jets pick Alabama safety in NFL draft fourth round
