Profile of Fili Moala

Fili Moala started the 2008 season a being rumored to be the #1 overall pick in this year's draft. Many of us thought that was premature.

He is agile and quick to react and get to where the ball is going. Fili has a great first step with decent speed, he has solid tackling skills with the ability to hold onto a player to finish the tackle. He has the bulk  and strength (though he needs to bulk up and get stronger.) to be a terrific run stuffer, often commanding double teams, Moala pushes the pile with his raw power.

Moala moves surprisingly well laterally and gets off the ball quickly. He is able to shed blockers with ease and is a very good tackler who leaves his mark on most hits. Mack has been very durable and has improved every year; he is a very active inside player. he has good range and mobility, makes him versatile enough to play inside in a 4-3 or outside in a 3-4.

Fili moves well to the outside and can change direction quickly. He has excellent ability at getting initial penetration. He has decent speed and can close quickly when the pocket collapses. He gets his hands up effectively in throwing lanes.

Unfortunately he lets blockers get under him and control him too much. He sometimes plays too tall and disappears at times. Even though he has decent speed Moala doesn't have the speed to chase down a quarterback or running back. For a player of his build, Moala doesn't have as much strength as you'd expect, but it's still good enough to hold up pretty well against the run.