2019 NFL Draft: LSU TE Foster Moreau has been a ‘pleasant surprise’

Foster Moreau isn’t a top-ranked tight end. In fact, he’s not expected to be taken until the third day of the 2019 NFL Draft.

As he prepares to enter his professional career, Moreau has hardly received the type of media attention guys like Noah Fant, T.J. Hockenson and a number of other names have garnered.

But projections and opinion only mean so much to the 6-foot-5, 250-pound LSU standout.

Regardless of how he’s rated or where he’s placed on a mock draft, Moreau knows that actions speak louder than words or an outside analyst’s opinion, and he’s comfortable with his performance.

“At the end of the day I worked as hard as I could for as long as I could,” he said of his career at LSU when he met with the media at Pro Day.

There’s a lot of positive things he brings to the table for any NFL team, between both the tangibles and the intangibles.

“I think my best attributes are off the field, in a sense. I believe a lot of football is based on what you can handle mentally. Things like grit, toughness, responsibility, just the ability to fight no matter what,” he said.

“Then when we get on the field, I’m incredibly aggressive. I’m a bruiser. I am finisher. I’ve got a little speed to me, too. That’s something they don’t really expect.”

Anyone who didn’t look beyond Moreau’s stats sheet would pass him off as a forgettable player.

He was quietly productive in 2018, reeling in 22 receptions for 272 yards and two touchdowns.

It’s because of these underwhelming numbers that the tight end has taken so many scouts aback between his performances at workouts and being recognized as one of just a small handful of outstanding players at the Senior Bowl.

Moreau ran a 4.66-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine (fifth-best at tight end), and posted a 36½-inch vertical jump (tied for third).

“They didn’t expect me to do that,” he said. “That was not expected because I haven’t shown that on my game tape, which is apparent. But it’s fun to get out there, raise questions. Not prove people wrong, but just kind of take people aback, be a pleasant surprise.”

A high rate of success at the next level matters almost more than anything to Moreau.

But it’s not about the numbers — and it never will be.

“Stats are stats, but at the end of the day, wins are wins, and I’ll take a win over 200 yards and three touchdowns any day.”