The Detroit Lions had one of the best picks in the entire draft when they landed Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore with the 44th overall pick. The addition was not only the best player available, but it also hit a position of need and was a great scheme fit, per Matt Bowen of ESPN.
Moore saw the field in all four of his years at Michigan. He went from two sacks as a freshman to five sacks as a sophomore before dipping to four sacks as a junior. However, his ten sacks in his final college season showed what he can do to the quarterback.
He slid to the 44th overall pick because he is more of a power player than someone who wins with speed. That is why the sacks could come in and go at times. However, Bowen notes this is the perfect fit across from Aiden Hutchinson due to the power of Moore and the speed of Hutchinson.
The Detroit Lions Drafted a Perfect Complement to Aiden Hutchinson
GettyAiden Hutchinson had 14.5 sacks last year
Aside from Hutchinson and Moore both going from Michigan to the Lions, they have differing skill sets that complement each other. Hutchinson is a bit more complete overall, but he is still in a bit of a smaller frame, and most of his game is built around winning with speed and being more agile around the edge. If anything, he can get held up by bigger tackles who can get their hands on him and overpower him.
That is why the best rushers across from Hutchinson have always been the power players who are able to hold up at the point of attack. They are able to take on the power blocks so that Hutchinson gets more chances to rush more freely and get after the quarterback.
This is what Moore thrives in, so it is hard to see a better fit.
Detroit Lions Hope to Have Upgraded Their Edge Rusher Room
Al-Quadin Muhammad had 11 sacks last year, but that came out of nowhere and is not quite indicative of the player that he is. That is why the Lions did not rush to re-sign him after his career year. Detroit also let Marcus Davenport leave in free agency after two injury-riddled seasons with the Lions.
Between Moore and free agent D.J. Wonnum, they are hoping to have an upgraded duo from those two. Davenport will be easy to replace, and while this duo might not replace the one-year production from Muhammad on the statsheet, they could combine to unlock a much better version of Hutchinson, and that could end up being even more valuable.
The question will be how soon Moore can get on the field and how much of an impact he can make when that happens. Moore wins with leverage and power, which can be easier against college players than in the NFL. That is shown in the fact that Moore did not produce as much until his final season, when he was physically capable of dominating on the line.
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