The San Francisco 49ers selected Western Michigan offensive tackle Jaylon Moore with the 11th pick (No. 155 overall) in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
San Francisco signed left tackle Trent Williams to a long-term contract in March, and today, officially exercised the fifth-year option of right tackle Mike McGlinchey.
Making it happen in the Draft room and on TV 😏 @JohnLynch49ers & Ethan Waugh, Director of College Scouting & Football Systems welcome Jaylon Moore to the #49ers.
📺 #NFLDraft on NFLN & Draft-A-Thon on https://t.co/eCeWSSPJED pic.twitter.com/EG9mALLxZA
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) May 1, 2021
Moore appeared in 36 games (26 starts) in five years (2016-20) at Western Michigan. He played in all six games as a redshirt senior in 2020 and blocked for a Western Michigan offense that ranked fourth in the MAC in yards per game (479.7).
Moore started all 13 games in 2019 and helped the Broncos finish with a top-three MAC ranking in total offensive yards per game (445.7). He started all 13 games in 2018 and was part of an offensive line that allowed the second-fewest sacks allowed per game (1.54 avg.) in the MAC. The offensive lineman appeared in five games in 2017 as a redshirt freshman and did not see game action in 2016.
Moore is from Detroit, MI. He earned a pre-draft grade of 6.23 from NFL.com, which equates to a "good backup who could become starter," per the site's 8-point grading scale.
NFL.com projected Moore to be a fourth-round draft pick.
Below is the NFL.com draft profile bio on Moore:
Moore attended Consortium College Prep High School in Michigan, earning second-team All-Metro notice from the Detroit News his senior year. He was recruited by WMU as a tight end but added 25 pounds before enrolling so coaches played him at defensive end his redshirt season. They moved Moore to offensive tackle the following spring, and he played in five games as a reserve. He took over the starting job at left tackle for all 13 games of the 2018 season, where he would garner second-team All-MAC honors as a junior (13 starts) and senior (six). He accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl. -- by Chad Reuter
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote the following about Moore within his scouting report:
Athletic tackle/guard prospect who is at his best when he's allowed to play on the move and utilize his athletic ability to create angle advantages in space. He's fluid and consistent on play-side climb-ups to seal the linebacker and has the potential to help create back-side tracks for one-cut runners. He has huge hands and adequate length but needs to win early with those hands or he can be overtaken by stronger defenders. If Moore can eliminate his leaning, he has the technique and traits to be competitive as a blocker. He might need to prove he can offer tackle/guard roster flexibility in order to garner and maintain a backup role.
Jordan Reid of The Draft Network wrote the following about Moore within his scouting report:
Playing in 37 career games (32 starts), Moore is a well-experienced blocker who has manned the left tackle spot since the 2018 season. The wealth of experience has helped him develop into a well-rounded blocker. A fluid mover in pass protection, he has easy movement skills in and out of his pass sets. As a run blocker, he comes out of the starting blocks with plenty of aggression. He's an adequate option in the run game, but his motor tends to quickly fade. Sustaining that demeanor throughout blocks is another step to unlock in his development. An athletic tackle, he excels in zone-based blocking schemes, but has the power to run gap scheme runs in spots. His length comes into play in many areas, but his balance can be an issue as he leads with his head a lot into blocks. Resulting in his falling forward often, his technique with lunging into blocks will need to be corrected. An enticing project to work with, Moore will need time to correct his blocking technique and also his habit of leading with all of his weight forward at the point of attack.
Pro Football Focus wrote the following about Moore:
Western Michigan has churned out quite a few offensive tackle prospects in recent years. Willie Beavers, Taylor Moton and Chukwuma Okorafor have all been drafted from the Broncos in the past five years. Moore looks like he'll be next in line, as he brings a prodigious physical skill set to the table. He's a juiced-up 311-pounder who caved in opposing defensive ends. He possesses the kind of quicks and explosiveness to continue to do the same in the NFL, but he's just so unpolished. He has some of the most inconsistent feet in the draft class, and it robs him of displaying those physical gifts. Moore is a project, but one with a legit payoff.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote the following about Moore:
A three-year starter at Western Michigan, Moore was the left tackle in head coach Tim Lester's zone scheme. He went from tight end to defensive end to offensive tackle early in his career at Kalamazoo and took over the left tackle duties from Chukwuma Okorafor (third-rounder in the 2018 NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers), finishing his career with 32 straight starts. Moore displays coordinated movement patterns in pass protection, staying wide and working hard to keep his blocks centered. He won't be a great fit for every scheme, but he is efficient on the move, executing stretch runs and picking off linebackers at the second level. Overall, Moore doesn't play with the power to consistently move defenders off the ball, but he plays with the balance and poise to push for NFL starting reps. He would best fit in a zone-based NFL offense.
Measurables
Height: 6-5
Weight: 315 lbs.
Arm length: 33.375 inches
Hand length: 10.75 inches
Personal
- Attended Consortium College Prep (Detroit, MI) where he played on the offensive and defensive line, as well as tight end.
- Son of Latisha Price and James Moore.
- Majored in finance at Western Michigan.
- Born Jaylon Moore (1/9/98) in Detroit, MI.
Other Notes
- Gained 25 pounds his senior season at Consortium College Prep (Detroit, MI) to transition from tight end to the offensive line. Under then-head coach P.J. Fleck, he made the transition to offensive line his senior year, leaving his impression on Fleck as a "hidden gem."
- Michigan football is in his family, as cousin Timothy Ford was a member of the Siena Heights University football program.
