49ers draft DB Tarvarius Moore in Round 3

Posted By on April 27, 2018

Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson (15) is driven out of bounds by Southern Mississippi defensive back Tarvarius Moore (18) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Hattiesburg, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017. Kentucky won 24-17. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

SANTA CLARA — A safety? In Round 3?

With the 95th pick, the 49ers selected Tarvarius Moore, a safety. Or a cornerback. I’m not sure which.

Moore played safety at Southern Mississippi. But, the 49ers already have two young safeties — Jaquiski Tartt and Adrian Colbert.

I’m guessing the 49ers will try to move Moore to cornerback — he fits their physical profile at that position. Whatever he plays, he should be a solid addition. But, not a great one. I’m not a fan of drafting safeties to play corner. Corners have a tough enough time playing corner.

GRADE: B.

This article has 63 Comments

  2. It may not happen right away but he has a HUGE upside. He is the sleeper of the draft and I have a good record for picking sleepers last year I said Trent Taylor would be the sleeper of the draft.

    1. I agree old coach. Watched his tape. He’s very fast and look how long and lanky he is – but he ‘s super strong and takes ball carriers on straight up. He doesn’t shy away from contact at all.

  3. I am not 100% on this, but I believe he played CB in JUCO. Have to think he will be given a look there, and if that doesn’t work out he has value as a SHS. Great athlete. High upside pick. I like this one.

    1. In fact, Moore just said over the phone to reporters the 49ers will give him a look at CB.

      1. Beautiusmaximus! Similar to the Jones pick by the Cowboys in the first round a couple drafts ago.

  4. If he’s a safety, this surely seals the deal with moving Ward to the outside, right?

  5. Yeah Grant .. Drafting a safety to play CORNER??? In the NFL?????? You gotta be kiddin’ me!!!! Yeah, that Ronnie Lott pick was a real disaster.

  6. It seems like we got Malik Hooker a year later. Saleh’s defense thrives in front of a single high safety. Sure, Moore may get a look at CB with his speed and some experience there, but methinks the CS is slowly putting together the defense it wants.

    1. At any rate … doesn;t it usually take a couple of years to make a competent
      assessment of a draft pick? …
      After all .. “Gimme Moore’s tape looks promising

    2. Your posted “other way around” proof that a corner can convert to safety is awesome!
      Remember Ronnie stoning Ikky Woods when the question of whether we could stop him was unanswered. Ronnie was the answer.

      Ikky stick as at 2:35.

    3. Totally agree look at Jimmy Ward. If struggles in pass coverage, and plays so hard that he is injured every season.

  8. He ran a 4.32 40???? If he’s long and has cb experience and can locate the ball, then we’ve got something.

    1. Superior combination of size, speed and explosiveness
      Ran verified 4.32-second 40-yard dash twice at his pro day with a 38.5-inch vertical leap and 11-foot-1 broad jump
      Arms dangle down his side at over 33 inches
      Asked to line up over slot and handle man cover duties
      Operates with smooth backpedal and loose hips to match route breaks
      Clocked speed shows up on tape with easy burst to close or to recover
      Turns to find and close targets quickly after recognizing play-action
      Has ability to handle combination safety role
      Impressive ball production in limited time at USM
      Able to blaze down the alley and catch running backs before they turn the corner
      Willing hitter.

      1. Razor,
        Nice review. I feel better about this pick. I just hope he’s a sticky corner. You know an annoying grab pull hip checker type.

        1. He rocketed up draft boards from obscurity. I had him in the 5th round. Come to find out, Zierlein gave him a 2-3 round grade just before the draft….

  11. McGlinchey Aka Drago
    Pettis The Menace
    Warner Bros.
    “In the midnight hour, she cries”, Moore! Moore! Moore!

    1. kudos to you… razor cuz you remain the king of the nicknames
      on this board… I shouldn’t have attempted the task b/c
      it seems I fell flat on my face…

      little of topic… but in the current poll … who wants to bet our
      resident “Debbie Downer” made the very first “no” vote ?

  13. Pettis made 163 catches for 2,256 yards and 24 touchdowns in his four-year career, including 63 catches for 761 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He earned first-team All-PAC 12 honors.

    Pettis set the NCAA record with nine career touchdown returns. He averaged 13.7 yards per punt return.

    …..profile makes sense….but hmmm still a 2nd rd pick

    1. An added bonus to Pettis is that he has a 336 passer rating on 5 passes. So you can do end arounds and trick plays with him.

  14. I think we need to move up for Sweat tomorrow, or are we just gonna settle on a guy.

  15. I agree with you grant 100% but if your 6 foot and run 4.32 you have the skill set to do it.. hope he’s not another d.johnson

    1. Yes, you are a genius we don’t need a pass rush. Eli Harold is about done, he should have left with Tank Carrdine.

  19. Moore, who ran a 4.32 forty, has the speed to play corner. He also has the quick twitch and fluidity, along with the length.
    .
    Niner coaches are looking for parameters. There have been many examples of making players change position. The question is- are the coaches competent enough to mold him to fit their scheme? I believe so.
    .
    I think Saleh can do that. He has gone from an unproven rookie DC, and has shown to be able to improve the defense.

  20. This is probably the worst draft selection. The Niners are picking up all of these players that were not even mentioned in the top ten, except for the guard from Notre Dame. I was so disappointed when they made no effort to get a good DB or a pass rusher. This draft class is a total bust.

  21. Reading more on the picks….i can see how they are valuable to the team…

    “We think Pettis has a little bit of everything,” he said. “I think we can use him sometimes like we use Marquise (Goodwin), if need be. I think we can use him inside similar to how we use Trent (Taylor), if need be. I think he has the hands and the toughness that is similar to Pierre (Garcon). In the meantime, I think he’s going to be a very good punt returner for us.”

    Moore has the requisite size for the position, standing 6-2 with long, 33-inch arms. He wasn’t invited to the combine but stood out at his school’s pro day by running his 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds and leaping 38 1/2 inches on the vertical jump.

    “He’s a guy who played safety at Southern Miss,” Lynch said. “We think he has an opportunity to play some corner for us. We’re going to check that out. … He’s a special athlete. But he’s also a guy who on tape shows up, gets the ball.”

    Warner, who led the Cougars in tackles last season, stands 6-foot-3 and has said one of his favorite NFL linebackers is Bobby Wagner, who essentially runs the Seahawks defense from his middle-linebacker spot.

    “They went over film of how the linebackers play, and they really liked my ability to break on balls, to use my hands to strike defenders and tackle, of course,” Warner said. “… I feel like I can fit in right away and do some damage.”

  22. I really like the 2 last picks of the day, I dont like that we still don’t have a bonified edge rusher. Wasn’t a particularly strong draft for passrushers but I dont get it. Another year with zero outside pressure.

    All we have to hope for is a healthy Attachu and a breakout year for Pita T.

    1. Aaarrrggggg…. I guess I just hope they dont play Solomon out of position again.

      It seems lynch and KS see a team with a lot of holes, so they’re definitely not one position away, so there wasn’t an urgency, though the Pettis pick still boggles my mind.

  24. Im not a fan of this draft so far.
    It seems with every pick the niners left far more talented players on the board.
    Mike is good but their were better players. Some could argue they are building to protect Jimmy which is fine, but this is the first in a long line of reaches.
    Pettis- good player but once again far better players were available… Oliver, Jackson, Nwosu, Williams… the kicker is they gave up picks to get him.
    Warner – finally a pick that makes sense need wise… players left on the board Baker, Jefferson, Okorafor, Hubbard, Okoronwo, Sweat and Hurst.

    1. Yeah I hear u Shoup, I think that’s most of our problems, not the players themselves but the players and positions we’re not selecting. Regardless I will say our offense will be much improved this year, defense may be a different story, it may depend on health.

    2. They see something in these players others don’t maybe scheme wise or height, ect. I think Mike was a little stretch, not much if he becomes a real good OT. Protecting JG was primary. They say if LB R. Smith was there they would of passed for Mike, not sure about that. I also thought Pettis may have been there at 59, didn’t like giving away 74 for 142 to move up. Moore is about 6’2″, 200lb runs a 4.32 and may become a CB, I bet with help from Sherman. Warner was a need wise pick and is taller with length and runs a 4.6-40. Also DE M. Hurst is sliding because of a heart condition, irregular EKG. Maybe they focus on Sweat in the 4th.

  25. Hard to say at this point if there were better players available, need to see how players develop.
    Heard on KNBR today that the Niners are not drafting for 2018, they are looking at the 2018-2021 seasons.
    It appears the Niners don’t see themselves as a Super Bowl team this year, but are aiming for the next couple of years. I think they see they have drafted their next left tackle, who will play right tackle for the next two years. A WR to replace Garcon in a few years who is a great punt returner. A LB to replace Smith and a CB who can be the next Richard Sherman with coaching and mentoring.
    They clearly want speed and players who can move. I think 2019 will be the year we see if this plan is working, not 2018. I’m 2018 they may get 8 wins, in 2019 it should be 10-12 wins. By 2020 winning the Super Bowl will be the goal and returning every few years is the reasonable goal if the team is built properly.

    1. This is something that is abundantly clear based on the draft so far – they weren’t going to be pressured into drafting for immediate needs. They have taken the approach of getting the guys they believe will help them most in 2-3 years time. As to whether the guys they have taken do this is another question, but that is definitely what the plan appears to be.

      This is of course the right way to draft as well… when you have the luxury to do so. I guess since both Shanahan and Lynch are on long term deals they do have that luxury. But from an immediate talent level point of view this is going to leave some holes on the team for 2018. I don’t think the draft picks so far are the guys that would have gotten them the most wins this year. But when you are rebuilding this is probably the right thing to do. Even if it is less exciting for fans in the short term.

      1. I agree. I would add that they know with good to great QB play they may or may not make the playoffs but they will entertain the hell out of us as they continue to improve.

    1. Shhh don’t tell Grant that. The Mike has to be more physical while the will is a chase backer in a traditional 4-3.
      It amazes me the number of people that have yet to understand that this is not a traditional 4-3.

  27. McGlinchey – Improved running game.
    Pettis – Improved return game. Can play X, Z, and Slot according to Shanny.
    Warner – Solid player. Warner and Foster are a strong combination and they’re both good in coverage.
    Moore – Long and fast DB.

    No edge yet.

    1. Pettis also improves the depth at WR in case of injury. I am sure what happened when Garcon went down played into their desire to move up and get the guy they wanted.

      Really the biggest gripe I have is they still have a glaring hole at edge rusher. But as I have said all along, this team has so many holes they can’t really go too far wrong drafting any position. Only other real gripe I have is I don’t agree with trading up for Pettis. I don’t think he is so good they should have been concerned over losing him. If they waited and another team took him, so be it. But hopefully I am wrong and he turns out to be a very good WR.

      1. I’m a little higher on Pettis, so I like the pick a little better. Agree on the concern about Garcon. Goodwin has his concussions too.

        Same here WRT Edge. Hopefully we can double dip tomorrow with Sweat and Armstrong. Good value for either one on day 3.

      2. I’m with you scooter.
        It’s not that I hate the picks individually, it’s just that I can’t help but think how much the niners could have improved the team with some other picks.
        If the team would have walked out of this draft with the Leprechaun, Oliver, Warner, and Sweat or Armstrong I would have been thrilled. Or perhaps Mike M., Harold, and Moore I would have been thrilled at this point.
        As it stands, I think we drafted one player that can start this year, unless Warner surprises that’s rough considering the talent level on this team.

  28. What have I learned from this draft?
    .
    Niners missed out on a lot of talent. However, they usually can tap into only 1/32nd of the talent, no matter what.
    .
    To me, this has been an exercise in futility, because my premise was that the Niners biggest needs were to improve the pass rush and pass defense.
    .
    Obviously, the Niners think that those deficiencies were addressed during free agency.
    .
    The Niners avoided the ACL players and the red flag players so far, so I am happy.
    .
    The one criticism that I repeat from the last draft is the contention that the Niners committed another unforced error. They did not have to move up 15 places and give up their 74th pick. They should have been patient, especially since there were 5 higher ranked WRs ahead of Pettis.
    .
    If they had saved the 74th pick, they could have chosen Derrick Nnadi, DT, Sam Hubbard, DE, Malik Jefferson, OLB, or Rasheem Green, DE, who were chosen soon after that pick.
    .
    Other than that, I think the Niners improved their roster.

  30. Day 3 mock.

    Rd.4 Edge Josh Sweat
    Rd.5 DE/SAM Dorance Armstrong
    Rd.6 HB Justin Jackson
    Rd.7 G Matthew Gono
    Rd.7 Move TE/WR Marques Valdez-Scantling

    2. I think we’ll have to trade up to land one of those edge players, we pick at the end of the 4th, meaning we may have to give up that 5th. Hopefully we can keep the 5th and maybe just part with a 6th.

      1. You’re probably right about Sweat. I think Armstrong will be available to us in the 4th though.

  31. This is a tough one. This is a pure projection pick in 3rd round of the draft. No ideal. If he doesn’t produce at cb, he likely becomes a back-up safety. A position of strength for us. Wasn’t Guice still there, or Key? Just think if you are going to role the dice, roll it on a position of weakness. PLUS, get real value at that point of the draft (Guice and Key could be steals there).

    Don’t love this pick, but we’ll see.

  32. As many posters have pointed out, Lynch/Shanahan have a long term plan they following. While it is true they still have a really big hole at Edge, this was not a draft loaded with edge rushers. So they have to weigh if they are going to risk a pick on an edge who might pan out as opposed to taking a player who they are sure fits their scheme and long term needs. They, unlike some of you, are not that focused on fielding the best possible team this coming season, but using their resources to build for the long therm future. Now you might turn out to be right in some cases, but most of you are not aware of what their long term plan is. Rather you are locked into the standard way that most team and coaches without long term contracts who are in a rebuilding mode draft for their short term coaching lives. Operating in that sort of scenario they surely would have rolled the dice on possibly any mediocre edge rushers left on the board.

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