Vikings UDFA Profiles: Tyler Higby, David Moa
As we count down the days until the Vikings' opener against the Packers on September 13th, InsideTheVikings will be previewing every single player on the roster. The amount of days remaining corresponds with the jersey number of the player being examined on that day. Today is July 15th, and there are 60 days until kickoff for the 2020 regular season. 60 is the only number on the roster that is currently occupied by multiple players, so let's take a quick look at both of them.
Countdown to Vikings-Packers on September 13th: 60 Days
Player Previews: Tyler Higby (No. 60, Offensive Lineman), and David Moa (No. 60, Defensive Tackle)
Tyler Higby
- College: Michigan State
- Drafted: 2020 UDFA
- NFL experience: N/A
- Age: 23 (Birthday was in January)
- Size: 6'5", 300
David Moa
- College: Boise State
- Drafted: 2020 UDFA
- NFL experience: N/A
- Age: 24
- Size: 6'3", 296
- 2019 stats (NCAA): 37 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PD, 1 FR
- Career stats (NCAA): 93 tackles, 22.5 TFL, 11.5 sacks, 6 PD, 1 FR
With 60 days remaining until the Vikings (hopefully) open their 2020 season at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Packers, we've got our first double dose of player previews today. The Vikings currently have two players assigned to the No. 60 jersey – one on each side of the ball. Both are undrafted free agents, but both have some legitimate upside going forward.
Let's start with offensive lineman Tyler Higby from Michigan State. A three-star recruit from Houston, Higby chose the Spartans over a ton of Power 5 offers, including LSU and Miami. After redshirting during his first year in East Lansing, Higby played in 43 games over the next four years, making 30 starts. He spent most of his time at left guard, but also made seven starts at left tackle and two at center.
The thing that immediately stands out about Higby is his athleticism. He has good size and posted outstanding numbers in the bench press, the jumping drills, and the 40 at MSU's pro day. His 9.89 Relative Athletic Score is right up there with Vikings linemen Brian O'Neill (9.6), Ezra Cleveland (9.93), and Garrett Bradbury (9.96). However, Higby didn't do any of the agility drills, so it's worth taking that number with a grain of salt.
Higby's size and athleticism make him an intriguing practice squad candidate who could factor into the discussion at guard over the next couple years if he develops.
Moving on, the other No. 60 on the roster is former Boise State DT David Moa. The San Diego native spent six years in Boise, redshirting his first season and then being granted a sixth year of eligibility in 2019. He broke onto the scene as a redshirt sophomore in 2016, recording 8.5 sacks and batting down four passes. That's an incredibly productive season for a defensive tackle, and it resulted in Moa being named first team All-Mountain West.
However, that season would prove to be easily Moa's best. He dealt with an arrest in 2017 and also saw his production fall to 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack that year. Then, in 2018, he suffered a torn achilles that caused him to miss all but one game. After being granted a sixth year of eligibility, he posted 6.5 tackles for loss last season.
Moa's explosiveness off of the line of scrimmage gives him some upside for the Vikings as a potential three-technique. He's a good athlete – although he wasn't able to do a pro day, so it's hard to know exactly how good – and uses his hands well to shed blocks and make plays in the backfield. He also has an elite nickname: the Moa Constrictor.
Moa's age (he's already 24) and lack of production outside of the 2016 season caused him to go undrafted. He's not the most powerful defensive tackle, which means he can often be washed out of the play by good interior offensive linemen.
The Vikings gave Moa $30,000 guaranteed to sign as a UDFA, and it'll be interesting to see how he performs at training camp. If he can show some of the potential that helped him be so successful four years ago, he could have a shot to stick around on the practice squad.
You can find every single player preview to date – plus other offseason content – in this handy spreadsheet.
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