The injury suffered by UCLA cornerback Fabian Moreau while bench pressing at the Bruins' pro day workout Tuesday was bad news for his NFL draft stock, and the fact that the cornerback position is loaded with talent in the 2017 draft class doesn't help.
Moreau tore a pectoral muscle and underwent succesful surgery Wednesday night, from which he is expected to recover in time for training camp. Nevertheless, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah no longer considers him a first-round, or even a second-round, possibility.
"He once played three games in 2015 with a foot injury, so you combine two pretty major injuries, I think the third round is the highest he would go at this point," Jeremiah said on NFL Network's Path To The Draft. "Even if he's ready to go next year, there is legitimate injury concern when you talk to people around the league."
That would make two Pac-12 cornerbacks to suffer pro day injuries resulting in an expected draft slide. Washington CB Sidney Jones injured his Achilles tendon at UW's pro day and is also expected to fall in the draft. The unfortunate setback for Moreau follows an outstanding performance at the NFL Scouting Combine in which he ran a 4.35 40-yard dash with a broad jump of 11-4. He was unable to bench press at the combine, however, and was making up that test Tuesday when the injury occurred.
In his most recent mock draft, published before the injury, analyst Bucky Brooks projected Moreau to be the No. 26 overall selection to the Seattle Seahawks.
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