Broncos 2021 NFL Draft: Trevon Moehrig a sleeper 1st-round option
Leading up to free agency, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number of position groups the Denver Broncos (or almost any team) when it comes to putting together mock draft scenarios.
As of right now, the Broncos really don’t have a ton of clarity across the roster on either side of the ball, at least that we know about. Wide receiver appears to be good to go for the time being, as does the tight end position and four out of five spots on the offensive line.
Outside of those position groups, you could make a case for any number of positions as the Denver Broncos’ biggest need heading into the 2021 offseason. One position group that is somewhat overlooked is the safety position.
It’s expected, at this point, that franchise player Justin Simmons will either be re-signed to a long-term deal or franchise tagged. Kareem Jackson, the second half of the Broncos’ top safety duo, is a bit more of a question mark.
Jackson is set to count just shy of $13 million against the Broncos’ salary cap in 2021, and the team could save $10 million if they decide to decline their club option. Because Jackson is going to be 33 this season, that option has to be seriously considered, given his price tag.
Behind Simmons and Jackson, the Broncos have really no proven depth at the safety position at all.
Could this push safety near the top of the priority list in the 2021 NFL Draft?
Although it probably isn’t as obvious of a need as the cornerback position, it very well could be by the time the 2021 NFL Draft rolls around. If that’s the case, the Broncos should start being considered a legitimate landing spot for the draft’s top safeties, including a guy many believe to be the best safety in the class, TCU’s Trevon Moehrig.
Moehrig was a first-team All-American in 2020 and won the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football.
This is a player that is being vastly underrated because the 2021 NFL Draft class hasn’t been exactly hyped for its safety group.
With his ability to play high as a free safety, in the box, as a nickel, and pretty much anything in between, should Moehrig be getting talked about more in the Denver Broncos’ context?
One of the biggest priorities for the Broncos in the 2021 offseason is going to be finding ways to create more turnovers. There might not be anyone better at that in this draft class than Trevon Moehrig, who had seven interceptions, 21 pass breakups, and a pair of forced fumbles in three seasons at TCU.
A high school cornerback, Moehrig emerged in his first season on campus as a core special teams player and he was voted as the team’s best in that phase of the game by his peers.
By 2020, Moehrig emerged as a consensus All-American selection and one of the best defensive backs in all of college football.
Considering his ability to create turnovers and play all over the defense, how could Vic Fangio, George Paton, and the Denver Broncos not consider a player like this with their first-round selection, especially if they are able to get him while trading down and acquiring more selections?