Saturday, May 1, 2021

2021 NFL Draft Features Two Frogs; Three Frogs Sign Free-Agent Contracts


TCU safety Trevon Moehrig and linebacker Garret Wallow were selected in the 2021 NFT Draft, which began on Thursday, April 29, and ended on Saturday, May 1. Frogs Ar’Darius Washington, Pro Wells and Artayvious Lynn signed priority free-agent contracts with teams after the draft. 

Moehrig was drafted in second round with the draft’s 43rd pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. Wallow was drafted in the fifth round with the 170th pick by the Houston Texans.

Prior to the draft, Moehrig was projected as a first-round selection. If he would have been taken in the first round, it would have marked the first time in TCU history for the Frogs to have three consecutive drafts with first-round picks. L.J. Collier was a first-round pick in 2019 and Jalen Reagor and Jeff Gladney were first-round selections in 2020. In the last three seasons, TCU has had six players selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. 

Moehrig, recipient of the 2020 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back, is the first TCU player drafted by the Raiders since center Barret Robbins in the second round in 1995.

Named to seven All-America teams in 2020, Moehrig was selected First-Team All-Big 12 by the conference head coaches for the second straight season. He ranked among the national leaders with 1.1 passes defended per game (two interceptions, nine pass breakups). His 11 passes defended trailed only teammate Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (13) in the Big 12. He placed third on the Horned Frogs with 47 tackles, including two for loss.

Moehrig took part in nine takeaways over the last two seasons which tied for second in the FBS.

Pro Football Focus ranked Moehrig as the nation's No. 1 safety in 2019 with the third-most valuable season in the PFF College era. 

Wallow joins former TCU teammate Ross Blacklock on the Texans. Blacklock was a second-round pick by Houston last year. 

Wallow was a two-time First-Team All-Big 12 selection and Honorable-Mention Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He also earned 2019 Honorable-Mention All-America honors and was a 2020 Academic All-Big 12 recipient.  

Wallow closed his career with 295 tackles to rank fourth in the 20-season tenure of TCU head coach Gary Patterson. Wallow also was a team captain in each game in 2020 as the lone player on the field for the coin toss. 

In 2020, Wallow led TCU in tackles for the second straight season. His 90 stops and 9.0 tackles for loss per game both placed second in the Big 12. He also tied for the conference lead and sixth nationally with three forced fumbles, including one at the TCU one-yard line in the final minutes to preserve a 33-31 win at Texas.

As a junior, Wallow led TCU and the Big 12 with 125 tackles, including 18 for loss with 3.5 sacks. The 125 stops, more than double the next-closest Horned Frog (Moehrig, 62), ranked fourth in a season under Patterson. Wallow tied for ninth nationally in both tackles (10.4) and tackles for loss (1.5) per game. 

Patterson now has had 55 players drafted, with 131 in NFL camps. 

Washington, a safety, signed a priority free-agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens. He ranked among the biggest surprises to go undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, even though undersized at 5-foot-8 and 178 pounds. 

Washington had 37 tackles and five pass breakups in 2020. The 37 tackles were the seventh-most on the team. He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in 2020. He had an even better 2019 season as a redshirt freshman.

Washington was named the Big 12’s defensive freshman of the year in 2019, and was the second-highest graded safety last season by Pro Football Focus. Only Moehrig was graded higher by PFF in 2019. 

Washington allowed five catches out of 265 snaps in coverage in 2019, according to PFF. He also had five interceptions, which were the most by a freshman in the Gary Patterson era. 

Washington redshirted as a true freshman in 2018. 

Wells, a tight end, signed a priority free-agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Wells finished last season with 13 catches for 195 yards and three touchdowns, with at least one reception in seven of the eight games of the 2020 season. He had five touchdown receptions and 17 receptions in 2019, when he was named second-team All-Big 12.

Wells redshirted as a true freshman in 2018. 

Also a tight end, Lynn signed as a priority free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. 

Lynn was used primarily as a blocking tight end at TCU, but had success in the passing game when targeted. He had seven catches for 88 yards and a touchdown in six games in 2020. He had 11 catches for 118 yards and one score in 12 games in 2019. 

Over his four years at TCU, Lynn had 22 catches for 236 yards.

 

 

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