As the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine takes place over the next week in Indianapolis, eight former Michigan standouts will participate in the event, attempting to showcase their skills, attributes and abilities to scouts and coaches ahead of April's NFL Draft. A schedule of the event can be found here.
We preview what each former Wolverine invited brings to the Combine, looking back at their Michigan careers, at current draft projections and what to watch from them at the Combine.
First up in our series is edge rusher Derrick Moore.
Career at Michigan
A former top-100 recruit out of Baltimore (St. Frances Academy) who flipped from Oklahoma to Michigan in the 2022 class, Moore was a four-year contributor for the Wolverines. As a freshman, he was just outside the rotation at edge, playing 224 defensive snaps in 14 games, finishing with eight tackles, two sacks and 14 quarterback pressures.
As a sophomore, he played 410 defensive snaps for the 2023 national championship team. He played n all 15 games, finishing the season with 34 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, one forced fumble, a recovered fumble (for a touchdown at Maryland), two pass breakups and 26 quarterback pressures. He posted that stat line without starting a game, and was named honorable-mention all-Big Ten after the season.
By his junior season, Moore had emerged as a starting edge rusher and leading voice on the Wolverines' defense. He started 12 games for the Wolverines in 2024, tallying 23 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery and 37 quarterback pressures. Though dealing with multiple minor lower-body injuries during the season, Moore's pressure rate was valuable: Out of 139 power-conference edge rushers, Moore ranked 35th in PFF's pass-rushing production rate, and second in pass-rushing win rate.
His best game arguably came in Michigan's season finale, when he recorded four tackles, two sacks, five pressures and a fumble recovery against a talented Alabama offensive line.
As a senior, Moore was voted a team captain, and voted preseason first-team All-Big Ten by most publications. By and large, he lived up to that billing, starting 12 games and finishing with 30 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and 41 quarterback pressures. He ranked third in the Big Ten in sacks during the regular season, 10th in TFLs and fifth in quarterback pressures, and was named first-team All-Big Ten by coaches and second-team by the media.
Latest projections
Moore is ranked No. 65 overall in the NFL Mock Draft database, and No. 11 among edge rushers.
Moore is also projected to be selected No. 57 overall by the Chicago Bears in Pro Football Focus's three-round mock draft.
He is also ranked No. 52 in The Athletic's top-100 prospects ranking, and the No. 9 edge.
Moore is No. 98 in CBS Sports' top 330 prospects, and the No. 12 linebacker.
What scouts will like
Moore's pass-rushing skills are his clearest path to an NFL career. At Michigan, Moore had 118 quarterback pressures and 21 sacks in 827 career pass-rushing snaps, including 10 sacks and 41 pressures in 234 such snaps in 2025. He had moments of brilliance, including stellar games against Nebraska, Maryland and Wisconsin this fall, and key plays in big games in 2023 and 2024.
Moore rushes off the edge with a lot of power, making the most of his 6-foot-3, 254-pound frame, and was rarely pushed around. His maturity and football IQ improved over his more than 1,500 defensive snaps with Michigan, and was voted a team captain as a senior. He also batted seven passes and, as a senior, he only missed three tackles, compared to nine in the previous two seasons.
In front of NFL scouts and coaches, Moore impressed in Senior Bowl practices, and was widely considered one of the "winners" of the event.
Questions to answer
At 6-foot-3, Moore's arm length will be something scouts will be watching to determine if he can climb into the first round, compared to other edge rushers with more height. Consistency, particularly in run defense, is also something scouts seem concerned with, though those may be difficult questions for Moore to answer at the Combine.
Ultimately, Moore's tape is that of a top-100 draft prospect, but his length, strength and quickness off the line will all be examined closely, as scouts determine where in the top-100 picks Moore is worth drafting.