2026 NFL Prospect Profile: Michigan’s Safety Rod Moore

Moore was a four-star recruit out of Northmount Senior High School in Ohio and had a big senior year, collecting 68 tackles, one interception and six pass breakups on defense, while adding 28 receptions for 440 yards and eight touchdowns. He also had a very successful track career in high school and was timed at 6.99 in the 60-yard dash. 

Moore’s track to the NFL could have begun in 2024 if it were not for an ACL tear in his knee. As a result, he missed nearly 20 months before making a full recovery and returned mid-season in 2025 to the Wolverine lineup. Before his knee injury, Moore appeared in 11 games with four starts at safety as a freshman at Michigan. He shared the team Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after totaling 32 tackles.

In 2022, he was named Honorable Mention All-Big 10 while starting in 13 of 14 games at safety and led all Wolverine defensive backs in tackles with 71 and interceptions with four. He shared Defensive Player of the Week honors five times and established himself as one of the top safety prospects coming into the 2023 season. 

Moore played in parts of 12 games in 2023 before suffering his injury. He returned to Michigan for the 2025 season, but his draft stock is sure to take a hit as a result. He’s an experienced safety who can line up all over the secondary, and if his knee checks out, he will be a long-time NFL starter.

Strengths

• Hands
• Athleticism
• Instincts
• Ball Tracking

Moore’s biggest asset is his instincts. He is quick to sniff out a run and seems to take all the right angles to get to the ball carrier. He’s fast (likely will post a sub-4.4 40-yard dash at next year’s combine) and jumps routes early. He plays downhill in the run game and does a great job of reading the quarterback’s eyes. 

When the ball is in the air, Moore gets his head around and finds the ball and uses his soft hands to corral it. He’s a playmaker in the secondary who can take a pick to the house. As an athlete, Moore plays fluidly, getting in and out of his backpedal with little effort. He has enough speed to mirror wide receivers on crossing patterns. 

Weaknesses

• Tackling
• Size
• Strength

On the downside, Moore can be overaggressive on long passes and can be grabby at times when he is challenged. Bigger receivers have had big games against him, and he can be bullied on 50/50 passes. When playing man-to-man, he tends to give too much room and tries to instead bait passers to make the throw. In the NFL, he will have to learn to play a tighter man-to-man, as quarterbacks can win with arm strength, getting the pass to their target in a hurry. He is a willing run stopper but has issues with bigger receivers and running backs blocking him. 

Conclusion 

Watching film on Rod Moore, Draft Nation was reminded of another “Big Blue” safety, Dax Hill, who was a 1st round pick in 2022. Both have the same build and the big play potential, but Moore is going to be a 2nd day pick with the ceiling of a starting and productive safety in the NFL.