Moore knows stakes higher
Prospect’s stock has plummeted since poor showing in combine.
Damontre Moore once was an acid-hot NFL draft prospect, a multi-dimensional defender who pro teams could play at either end or linebacker. Back in January, when he gave up his final season at Texas A&M, Moore was projected as maybe the top overall pick and certainly a contender for the top five.
But an extended weekend last month in Indianapolis changed all that, thanks to Moore’s lack of strength and speed in key drills at the NFL scouting combine.
Scouts then questioned his lack of preparation, his character regarding a two-yearold arrest for marijuana and whether he could be an elite player at the pro level. So now he comes into Friday’s Aggie Pro Day trying to thwart a negative trend before his draft narrative gets out of control.
“I don’t even have him in the first round anymore,” said Gil Brandt, the former pro personnel director for the Dallas Cowboys who is now a senior draft analyst for NFL.com.
The criticism gets worse. Mike Mayock, a draft analyst for the NFL Network, recently
wrote that Moore’s combine workouts were “unacceptable.” And Bucky Brooks, who works with Mayock, blogged that Moore “had arguably the worst combine of any prospect in attendance.”
Perhaps there still is time to change. The next step for all draft prospects are on-campus pro days throughout March. This week, NFL scouts already have gathered in Lubbock and Fort Worth. Then teams can invite players for visits to their team offices. And, to answer even more questions, there will be private workouts before the three-day draft, April 25-27.
On Friday, Moore and offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, who still is a candidate for the overall top spot in the draft, will be able to work out in a comfortable atmosphere — A&M’s indoor practice complex — with numerous former teammates there for moral support.
Receiver Ryan Swope and running back Christine Michael also are hoping to prove that their outstanding performances at the combine weren’t aberrations.
Moore, who weighed 250 pounds in Indy, ran a 4.95-second time in the 40-yard dash. He didn’t run a second 40 because of a tight hamstring. For perspective, the average time for all defensive linemen over the past five years at the combine is 4.85. LSU’s Barkevious Mingo, another elite defensive end prospect, ran a 4.58.
Moore also struggled in the bench press. In this drill, scouts count how many times a player can lift 225 pounds. Moore did 12 times, the lowest total of any of the 37 defensive linemen at the combine. SMU’s Margus Hunt led the position with 38 reps to complement his 4.60 time in the 40.
Brandt said it could take two years for Moore to gain the strength needed to battle NFL offensive tackles.
Moore’s lone comments after the combine were to the NFL Network. He conceded his disappointing showing, saying “I was nowhere near what I did when I was training. ... But it’s just like football. There’s always adversity. You’ve got to learn from it and move on.”