Evaluating TCU safety Trevon Moehrig’s NFL Draft destinations

TCU safety Trevon Moehrig will almost certainly be the first Horned Frog football player selected in the 2021 NFL Draft later this year. After three years with the program, Moehrig chose to forego the remainder of his eligibility and pursue his professional dreams. The 6-foot-2 defensive back has been slotted in many mock drafts to be taken anywhere from the end of the first round to the middle of the second round.

But where does Moehrig realistically fall in the draft and which NFL team makes the most sense for his abilities? Pro Football Focus has rated Moehrig as the highest-ranked safety prospect in the 2021 class, but because Moehrig likely profiles as a free safety, the position he excelled at with TCU for years, finding the right fit will be paramount for the 2020 Jim Thorpe Award recipient and two-time First-Team All-Big 12 honoree.

Three NFL.com writers revealed mock drafts Monday, with Chad Reuter slotting Moehrig 40th overall to the Denver Broncos, Bucky Brooks ranking Moehrig 28th overall to the New Orleans Saints in Round 1 and Lance Zierlein linking Moehrig to the Baltimore Ravens with the 27th overall pick in Round 1. CBS Sports has Moehrig rated 39th overall among all prospects, but on the other hand, ESPN listed Moehrig as its 13th overall prospect.

Baltimore possesses a strong defensive backfield that includes corners Marlon Humphrey, Jimmy Smith, Marcus Peters and strong safety Chuck Clark. The Ravens attempted to solve their free safety concerns with Earl Thomas, but that backfired in spectacular fashion. Former sixth-rounder DeShon Elliott, who hardly saw the field in 2018 or 2019, became the team’s starting free safety in 2020, so Baltimore would be justified in adding Moehrig with their first-round pick.

New Orleans would be a more intriguing fit depending on how the Saints approach free agency, Starting free safety Marcus Williams is up for a new contact, and 33-year-old veteran Malcolm Jenkins is the strong safety. Former third-round pick P.J. Williams is the backup safety, but he also has experience playing cornerback, so he could be a useful depth piece if head coach Sean Payton springs for Moehrig in the first round. Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski also likes Moehrig to the Saints.

Multiple PFF writers including Seth Galina have Moehrig going in the first round, with Galina sending Moehrig to the Cleveland Browns with the 26th overall pick. The Browns would be a solid fit for Moehrig, who could replace 33-year old veteran and free-agent-to-be Andrew Sendejo and join a defensive backfield featuring former first-round corner Denzel Ward. Although Cleveland snagged LSU prospect Grant Delpit in the second round last year, Delpit didn’t play a single game in 2020 due to an injury.

PFF’s Ben Linsey likes Moehrig to the Kansas City Chiefs in what would be the 31st overall pick. The Chiefs could draft Moehrig if they choose to move on from 30-year-old Daniel Sorensen, who is a free agent, and Kansas City did select a TCU prospect last year in Lucas Niang. Chiefs coach Andy Reid could pair Moehrig with strong safety Tyrann Mathieu, creating a potentially elite combo that makes up for a pretty lackluster set of corners.

If Moehrig were to be selected in the first round, he’d be the fourth TCU player to be taken that high in the last three years (Jalen Reagor, Jeff Gladney, L.J. Collier) and the third on the defensive side. Moehrig had an incredible three-year run with the Horned Frogs, finishing with 124 total tackles, seven interceptions and two forced fumbles. With no live combine this year due to the ongoing pandemic, we’ll see whether or not Moehrig’s film and first-class personality will help him find a new home in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.