'He's just been dominating': Michigan EDGE Derrick Moore compared to NFL legend Terrell Suggs

Michigan Wolverines football senior EDGE Derrick Moore has done something that no U-M player has in nearly two decades. With 2 sacks each of the last three games — wins over Washington, Michigan State and Purdue — he’s the first Wolverine to have multiple sacks in three-consecutive outings since LaMarr Woodley in 2006.

For the season, the Baltimore native has 8.5 sacks, tied with Minnesota’s Anthony Smith for the most in the Big Ten. That mark stands tied eighth in the country. His 28 quarterback pressures, meanwhile, check in tied eight in the conference.

“He’s mentally grown and is learning offense,” Michigan EDGE coach Pernell McPhee said. “His technique has always been there. He’s always been a technician. He’s a very quiet guy, but he’s also smart, at the same time. I’ve been impressed with how he’s handling it week to week, of just learning the offense, picking up on formations, playing fast, treating the game with angles. Teaching him different angles of the game, he’s actually going out there and using it. It’s helping him out a lot, and that’s why I think he’s just been dominating. 

“He’s always been one of those physical human beings that just runs through people, because he’s quiet, but he’s also mean, so that’s a plus.”

At 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, Moore is a bit undersized, height-wise, for an NFL player, but he’s receiving a lot of draft buzz lately and came into the season on the Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list. On PFF’s big board that was updated Oct. 24, Moore checked in as the No. 79 overall prospect and No. 14 EDGE.

McPhee, a 36-year-old Pahokee, Florida, native who played 11 years in the NFL, compared him to one of his former teammates — two-time Super Bowl champion, 2011 Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs.

McPhee couldn’t help but smile.

“Definitely, a great comparison is like a ‘Sizzle,’ Suggs,” McPhee said.

Suggs was also not the tallest, standing 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, but accumulated 139 career sacks to rank eighth in NFL history.

Here’s the thing about Moore: While he’s been one of the most productive edge rushers in the nation, he hasn’t played that many snaps. In fact, he ranks tied 25th among Big Ten edge rushers with only 320 defensive plays logged this season. That’s the highest among U-M’s EDGEs, with the Wolverines using a heavy rotation.

“Really just keeping guys fresh,” McPhee said of the reasoning behind the rotation. “It’s a long season. It’s longer than normal. Keeping guys fresh, instead of letting them play 70 plays a game, 60 plays a game. Let them get down to 40.

“And I think we have four to five starters in my room, especially on the edge. It helps the younger guys get experience, as they’ve got next year to go along for. [Sophomore] Dom Nichols and even [junior] Cam Brandt, he’s an older guy, also. Just giving them the experience, giving them the opportunity to do whatever they can to help the team win. But just keeping guys fresh is the main thing and keep getting them ready for whatever battle we’ve got to go in.”

McPhee was asked if Michigan would consider giving Moore an increased workload considering how productive he’s been.

“When dealing with Derrick, it’s getting him in a rhythm,” McPhee said. “Derrick is one of the most unselfish players I know. We’ll call plays for him to make, and he’ll put another guy in that position. He’ll tell [graduate] TJ [Guy], [senior] Jaishawn [Barham], ‘No, you go over there.’ It’s just keeping him in a rhythm. 

“You could put him in 10 or 12 snaps, and he’s going to make some plays. He’s just that type of guy. He’s a really good kid. He knows the game, he plays the game well, he plays it fast and he plays it physical.”

A team captain, Moore has been arguably Michigan’s best defensive player this season, with more opportunities to shine the rest of the way.