Before being hired as the head coach of the New York Jets on Jan. 22, Aaron Glenn worked four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. Glenn used that connection to prepare for his first NFL Draft with the Jets, and it helped bring Alabama safety Malachi Moore to New York in the fourth round on Saturday.
Moore played three seasons at Alabama with Detroit safety Brian Branch.
“I talked to Brian Branch before the draft,” Glenn said. “He gave me some really good insight on that player. Actually, he was the starter right before Branch ended up getting the job. He had an injury.
“Him being the captain, that tells what he is. He’s going to come in and have a chance to compete for a safety spot.”
Arriving at Alabama as a two-time All-State selection for Hewitt-Trussville, Moore started the first 11 games of his college career at star, the Crimson Tide’s hybrid defensive-back spot. For the next two seasons, Branch handled that position most of the time before leaving for the Lions as a second-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
“(Branch) has been around him more than we have,” Glenn said. “He understands who is as a person and then as a player. The first thing that came out of his mouth was ‘Dog.’ And listen, when you hear that, shoot, that gets you excited about the player.
“And then having the chance to watch him on tape and see exactly how he operates, he fits us to a T, so I’m excited to have that player again. He has some versatility, and I see him being utilized just like that.”
Branch played as a slot corner in his rookie season with Detroit before turning in a Pro Bowl performance as a safety in his second campaign. Glenn said Moore had the same versatility.
“What he did in college showed exactly what he’s going to be able to do in the NFL,” Glenn said. “Being able to have the versatility to play safety and also play nickel is always great. Obviously, you saw Brian Branch, he did the same thing.”
By his final two seasons at Alabama, Moore had transitioned to safety while serving as a team captain.
“I played free safety, strong safety, nickel and I’ve played even a little bit of corner at practice from time to time at Alabama,” Moore said in a video interview with the Jets’ official web site. “And so that’s just something that I pride myself in being is versatile because you never know who’s going to go down in a game, and so I want to make sure I’m prepared, if I am in those situations, to succeed.”
The Jets acquired Moore with the 130th pick in the 90th NFL Draft. New York made a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to make sure it got the safety. The Jets sent the 145th and 207th selections to the Eagles, who used them on former UAB cornerback Mac McWilliams and Texas offensive tackle Cameron Williams.
“Malachi Moore is a guy we targeted,” Jets general manager Darren Mougey said. “Obviously, a very instinctive, tough player. He was a team captain. He’s made of the right stuff at safety. He was a guy we really coveted and kind of targeted early in the day.”
Like Glenn, Mougey is in his first year with New York and handled the Jets’ draft for the first time.
“The new regime of the Jets, and to be a part of it, it definitely means something,” Moore said. “It’s definitely special for them to look at me to feel like I can contribute to the success of this organization and to this team this year, and I’m excited and I’m truly blessed.”
Moore termed getting the draft call from New York as “surreal.”
“I’ve been dreaming of this ever since I started playing football as a little kid in the first grade,” Moore said, “and so to finally get here, all the memories of the early workouts, the late nights, the ups and downs of what it took to get here and also all the sacrifices I’ve had to make, my family had to make, it definitely all hits you at one time.”
At safety, the Jets have Tony Adams returning after he started 11 games last season. The other 2024 starting safety, Chuck Clark, remains a free agent after a torn pectoral muscle ended his season in the 12th game.
New York signed Andre Cisco as a free agent in March after he worked the past three seasons as a starting safety for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jets’ safety depth is untested. Jarius Monroe has played 17 defensive snaps in five NFL games. Former Auburn standout Jaylin Simpson has never played a defensive snap in an NFL game.
New York’s nickel back, Michael Carter II, is coming off an injury-affected season during which he played 25 percent of the snaps.
The Jets have the longest playoff drought in the NFL. New York’s most recent postseason came during the 2010 campaign, and the Jets have had one winning season since.
Moore’s Alabama career began with an undefeated, CFP national-championship team.
“I kind of seen it all at the University of Alabama literally,” Moore said. “Freshman year, went undefeated, won a national championship. Sophomore year, went to the natty again but came up short. And then missed the playoffs and then made the playoffs and then missed the playoffs again, so I’ve kind of had the ups and downs of being an Alabama football player. But I would just say I’m grateful for it. It’s definitely prepared me for where I am today. I know it’s going to take me far in life.”
Moore finished his time with the Tide playing for coach Kalen DeBoer. Before that, he spent four seasons with Nick Saban.
“I took a lot from him,” Moore said about Saban. “I would say the biggest thing is: Focus on the process. Don’t be result-oriented, and just be where your feet are and keep working hard. That was the thing about coach Saban that I admired so much. Each and every day, his schedule never changes. He’s down to a T of what time he eats his oatmeal cream pie or drinks his coffee or gets ready for practice. It’s always on a routine, and I can respect that because he’s getting the most out of his 24 hours.”
Moore will start work with the Jets at rookie minicamp next month before joining the veterans in New York’s offseason program.
