MM #27

Malachi Moore

Safety · Alabama

Malachi Moore went from national champion at Alabama to the first Jets rookie defensive back in 20 years to top 90 tackles in a season.

Malachi Moore was a true freshman starter on Alabama's 2020 national championship team and a team captain by the time he left, and the Jets landed him in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. He immediately became one of the lone bright spots on a difficult Jets season, taking over as a starting safety and piling up tackles at a historic rate for a rookie in New York's secondary.

★ Fourth-round pick, 2025 NFL Draft (No. 130 overall)

★ 101 tackles as a rookie, first Jets rookie DB in 20 years to top 90 in a season

★ National champion, Alabama, 2020

★ First-team All-SEC, Alabama

★ Team captain, Alabama, 2023 and 2024

Path to the league

Moore started as a true freshman at Alabama in 2020 and was part of the Crimson Tide's national championship team that season. He returned for a fifth college season in 2024, was voted a team captain in both 2023 and 2024, and earned first-team All-SEC honors before the Jets selected him with the 130th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

Moore's versatility at Alabama allowed him to play every safety alignment, and he built a reputation as an instinctive, high-IQ defender with strong ball skills. The Jets traded back into the fourth round to select him, a move that quickly looked like one of the values of their 2025 draft class.

2025 season recap

Moore earned his first career start in Week 3 against Tampa Bay after an injury to veteran Tony Adams, and he never gave the job back. He finished his rookie season with 101 tackles, three passes defensed and a forced fumble across 17 games, becoming the first Jets rookie defensive back in 20 years to record 90 or more tackles in a season and finishing second on the team behind Jamien Sherwood.