Jaylen Moody, LB Alabama: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Moody was a three-star recruit from Conway High School in Conway, S.C. in the class of 2018

Alabama linebacker Jaylen Moody patiently waited his turn to start for the Crimson Tide. The redshirt senior will finally get his shot this season. Moody’s profile for the 2023 NFL Draft is currently underwhelming since he was primarily a special teams ace up until this point. We’ll see if he can carve out a significant role on Alabama’s defense and land a spot on big boards.

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Jaylen Moody, LB Alabama: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior linebacker from Conway, S.C.

Background: Moody was a three-star recruit from Conway High School in Conway, S.C. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 1,197 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,133 for On3.com. Moody was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, he totaled 105 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions. Moody participated for the south team in the Touchstone Energy North-South Game prior to beginning his college career. He entered the transfer portal in January but decided to return to Alabama for his redshirt senior season.

2021 Production: 15 games, 11 tackles, 1 interception

2020 Production: 13 games, 19 tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery

2019 Production: 13 games, 10 tackles

2018 Production: 14 games, 5 tackles

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed one game in 2018

Awards: N/A

Pros: Special teams ace, reads the quarterback’s eyes in coverage, keeps his feet active, displays good linear and closing speed, hands pack some pop when he clashes with blocking tight ends, has the speed to contain quarterbacks and deter scrambles to the outside, gains good depth on his zone drops, running backs struggle beating him to the edge, missile in pursuit, motor runs hot, frequently seen communicating assignments and adjustments when in the game, wants to hammer the ball carrier, uses hand fighting to get off blocks and redirect to the football, good range in coverage, patiently approaches the line and stays square to the ball carrier, has the athleticism to cover plays in the flat, goes for batted passes at the line of scrimmage, sometimes able to shoot gaps as a blitzer, usually takes appropriate angles to the football

Cons: Three special teams penalties in 2021, limited defensive snaps leading to low production, size leads to him struggling against climbing linemen, wanders into no-man’s land in coverage sometimes, might raise arm length concerns, lacks creativity and power as a pass rusher, needs to wrap up more to avoid missed tackles, too many instances of getting moved backward against the run, lacks the play strength to deaden climbing linemen, lacks the hip fluidity to turn and carry pass catchers vertically, bouncy feet in coverage that prevent smooth movement, lacks experience playing in the slot, hasn’t shown sideline-to-sideline range

Overview: Moody is unofficially listed at 6'2", 225 lbs. He’s only missed one game during his college career. Moody has only played over 100 defensive snaps in a season once (2020). He’s played roughly 210 defensive snaps in the past two seasons, which pales in comparison to his extensive experience on special teams. Moody has nearly 800 special teams snaps under his belt, including more than 200 from both 2019 and 2021. Alabama’s opening depth chart lists Moody as the team’s starting WILL linebacker for the 2022 season opener. The South Carolina native can appear indecisive when dropping into coverage and sometimes finds himself stuck in no man’s land. Moody has the athleticism to cover players in the flat and gain depth when dropping into coverage, but he lacks the looseness in his hips and experience to carry tight ends downfield. He also has bouncy feet that hinder his fluidity in coverage. The former three-star recruit possesses above-average linear speed, but I wouldn’t call him a true sideline-to-sideline player. Moody possesses the speed and closing burst to prevent running backs from turning the corner on outside runs and contain quarterbacks looking to scramble. His motor runs hot in pursuit, but he rarely makes plays behind the line of scrimmage. Moody takes good angles to the football, which are complemented by his speed and burst. However, his frame lacks power. He often gets stuck on blocks or washed out of position by climbing linemen or tight ends. Sometimes his hand fighting and quickness help him shed blocks and redirect to the football, but these splash plays occur inconsistently. Moody is largely ineffective as a blitzer off the edge. He occasionally shoots gaps on the interior but doesn’t possess the arm length, physicality, and pass rush plan to consistently generate pressure.

Overall, Moody is an excellent linear athlete who does his best when working east to west near the line of scrimmage and on special teams. His lack of significant playing time complicates his evaluation, and he hasn’t shown anything to separate himself from the plethora of athletic Day 3 linebackers in the 2023 class.

Role & Scheme Fit: WILL linebacker in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Mid Seventh to UDFA

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-30-22