Fabian Moreau looks the part, and Washington hope his play will match

A torn pectoral suffered at UCLA’s pro day slowed cornerback Fabian Moreau, but it made him a good value selection for Washington in the third round with the No. 81 overall selection.

The two-time All-Pac-12 honorable mention put together quite a resume in his time with the Bruins, compiling 148 tackles (4.5 for loss), 26 passes defensed, three interceptions and a forced fumbles in five seasons — he redshirted following an injury in 2015.

Moreau boosted his draft stock with an outstanding performance at the East-West Shrine Game, prompting NFL Network’s Mike Mayock to suggest Moreau would be a second-round pick, at worst.

Instead he went in the third round, likely due in part to his pectoral injury, although Sidney Jones’s much more serious Achilles tear didn’t keep him out of the second round.

Athleticism

Washington’s decision to select Moreau so high despite his injury is a testament to the 23-year-old’s athleticism. The former Bruin lit up the combine, ranking first among corners in the broad jump (11’4”), second in the 40-yard dash (4.35 seconds), and fifth in the vertical jump (38 inches).

But Moreau isn’t just a workout warrior. His size, fluidity, instincts, and leadership ability are all top-notch and major components of the defensive back’s success — all of which led his college coach Jim Mora, who spent significant time on the sideline in the NFL, to proclaim early, “That’s an NFL corner right there.”

Moreau has the prototypical height, weight and speed of an NFL-caliber cornerback. His play is similarly solid. Moreau has experience in off-zone coverages and can play press man as well, due to his recovery quickness.

Moreau has the fluid hips, long speed, burst and closing ability required to turn and run with opposing receivers. As a result, and due to his level of experience, experts anticipated Moreau would fit best in a Cover 3 defense.

Instincts

His best attribute might be his instincts on the perimeter. The cornerback excels when it comes to leveraging his frame and upper-body strength to pin opposing receivers to the sideline. Often, Moreau forces his opponents out of bounds simply due to his understanding of route concepts.

Moreau always maintains a high-effort level, flying into opposing backfields to make plays against screen passes and the run. His aggressiveness is complemented both in the run game - by his ability to wrap up and tackle - and in the passing game - by his recognition of opponents’ routes.

With Moreau, injuries could potentially be a concern. In addition to the torn pectoral, which leaves in doubt his availability for the start of the 2017 season, he also suffered a Lisfranc foot injury in 2015. Those two issues aren’t enough to label the defensive back as “injury-prone,” but they were enough to drop him a round or two.

Moreau’s lack of ball production — he only intercepted three passes throughout his five years at UCLA, good for one interception every 63 targets — could also be a concern. He needs to improve in his ability to track balls when his back is turned towards the line of scrimmage.