There wasn’t much Trevon Moehrig could truly do in front of nearly every NFL team at TCU’s Pro Day on Friday. He’s the top-rated safety in the 2021 NFL Draft class and a first-round selection by several draft experts. He was expected to show his speed and versatility Friday, the first and only time he would work out in front of NFL personnel with no annual scouting combine.

In attendance were New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule among a large swath of scouts and evaluators. Moehrig drew the attention. He developed into an uber-productive safety after three seasons at TCU and the best in his position group. Moehrig, a consensus All-American, cemented himself as a top safety in 2019. He had four interceptions, 11 pass deflections, and 62 total tackles. Moehrig was close to that in 2020 with two interceptions, nine passes defended, and 47 total tackles; he has seven career picks. He’s not the same underrated safety of two seasons ago. So, what was left to show scouts? It came down to the intangibles.

“Every team that I talk to I just try to tell them and show them my versatility, show them that I know defense,” Moehrig said, “that I can communicate and process, that I can do it at all levels whether it be single-high, two-high, down the slot.”

Moehrig suffered a low back strain Friday; it wasn’t serious, he assured after the day’s events, but it did hamper his performance. He wasn’t as fast as he’s been on film, performing at about 80-85%. Moehrig had been training at EXOS in Frisco, Texas with Brent Callaway and was eager to show off his motor. His performance at TCU’s Pro Day, where he recorded a 33-inch vertical jump, 4.19-second short shuttle, and a 4.50-second 40-yard dash, cemented what evaluators have seen on tape. Conversations couldn’t be going better. Moehrig, who is on the cusp of fulfilling his dream of being selected in the first round, has been aligned with what league personnel has been telling him. His best feature, on the field, is his versatility.

“They’ve actually said the same things I’ve been saying,” he said. “They use their safeties in multiple roles so if [I] can come here and be versatile, that’ll just help [me] even more. They think I can fit in and plug-and-play anywhere they need me; that’s kind of the talks right now. There hasn’t really been any specific positions, just all over the field, wherever they need.”

More than the player, Moehrig’s selling point? His personality. Moehrig became the leader, the quarterback of the defense, because of his strong foundation. The high-caliber qualities are far beyond what the stat sheet shows.

“He’s a great team leader,” head coach Gary Patterson said. “I’ll take a thousand Tre Moehrigs, to be honest with you. He’s very talented plus he’s a hard worker. He can play through being beat up a little bit, all those kinds of things you’re going to have to do at the next level when you only have a 53-man roster. Those are all positives. You wish you could recruit everybody like him.”

Moehrig’s rise to the top wasn’t easy. He was a 3-star recruit out of high school and grabbed some more notable Power 5 schools—including Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Northwestern, and Minnesota—before committing to TCU, where, under Patterson, he could develop as a defensive back. There are still some things Moehrig has to correct as he gets ready to patrol the backfield and direct the defensive unit in front of him. He can, at times, leave himself vulnerable, which could be a glaring flaw if it wasn’t for his ability to recover and the speed he’ll be ready to show off after much-needed rehab before draft day. A safety-needy NFL team would benefit from his aggressiveness and constant ball disruption. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what round Moehrig’s selected. He’s already made it.

“It’s a blessing,” Moehrig said. “This is all I ever wanted: I want to go in the first round, but anywhere I go, whatever round, it doesn’t matter. I’m just blessed with this opportunity.”