Leonard Moore’s draft stock has blown up in a way Notre Dame can’t ignore.
With the college season still in progress, NFL Mock Draft season is already spinning into gear, and one recent projection sends Moore into rare air. Rob Rang of Fox Sports put together a mock draft earlier this month that has the Notre Dame standout going No. 3 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If that plays out, the Irish would land a third overall pick in back-to-back seasons.
That kind of projection changes the conversation fast. Tampa Bay has been sinking, and it was losing even when quarterback Baker Mayfield was healthy.
Now that Baker is injured and sidelined, the losses are piling up even quicker. If things keep going that way, the Buccaneers could be positioning themselves for one of the top defensive backs in the class, if Moore decides to turn pro.
And that’s still the big question. Moore missed a few games this year with a concussion, which leaves open the possibility that he could return for another season and try to build his résumé even more.
But if he’s really sitting that high on draft boards, the ceiling may already be as high as it gets. At that point, the move is simple: leave now.
The durability piece matters, too. Moore has missed time because of injuries in each of the last two seasons.
The injuries were unrelated, which is the good news. Even so, another year in college would come with another chance for teams to start asking questions if he gets hurt again.
Rang’s mock doesn’t stop with Moore. Notre Dame has four players in the first round of his projection.
Offensive guard Anthonie Knapp goes No. 22 to the Cleveland Browns, while defensive back DJ McKinney is taken No. 28 by the Chicago Bears. Quarterback CJ Carr comes off the board at No. 30 to the Minnesota Vikings.
There’s plenty of time for the board to shift before spring. Still, Moore being projected as a top-three pick is the kind of result that would be huge for him and for Notre Dame.
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