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Scouting the Draft: Vanderbilt's D.J. Moore

01:56 PM EDT on Monday, March 30, 2009

By SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer

With the NFL Draft slated for April 25-26, this is the fifth in a series of daily looks at a player who could be on the New England Patriots' radar. All profiles can be found at projo.com/patriots.

Player: D.J. Moore, Vanderbilt

Height and Weight: 5 feet 9 inches, 192 pounds

Position: Cornerback

Hometown: Spartanburg, S.C. (Broome HS)

Senior year: 58 tackles (30 solo), 6 INT, 13 passes defensed, 19.4 yards per kickoff return

Career: 178 tackles (120 solo), 13 INT, 19.3 yards per kickoff return

Honors: SI.com first-team All-America, Associated Press second-team All-America, first-team All-SEC

NFL Combine numbers: 4.56 seconds (40-yard dash), 17 reps (bench press), 39 ½ inches (vertical), 9 feet 2 inches (broad jump)

Is he a fit for the Patriots?

Possibly. Moore is the classic case of numbers not equaling production -- while his vertical is impressive (and necessary, given that he'll be at least four or five inches shorter than most receivers he'll face), his 40-yard dash time is a bit slow, and his broad jump is subpar as well. But "he's spunky … when you put the pads on, he's a football player," draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. said recently. That kind of spunk is generally a positive to the Patriots.

Moore is also versatile -- in his final season with the Commodores, he lined up as a cornerback, wide receiver, running back, kick returner and punt returner.

Scouts say Moore's reaction time and instincts make him a natural for zone coverage, and he closes well on routes. As a receiver, he has very quick feet on routes, is good in the open field and has reliable hands; he uses those skills as a corner and is sure-handed during interceptions and interception returns.

smanza@projo.com

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