Devin Moore was always different, and not just for what he could do between the sidelines of a football field.
Of course, the Naples High graduate’s play on the gridiron was special – the defensive back earned a starting job for the Golden Eagles as a freshman and never looked back, continuing on a trajectory that led him to the University of Florida and, in all likelihood, the NFL draft later this week.
However, what Moore will bring to an NFL team goes beyond his impressive playmaking skills.
His high school coach Rick Martin recalled how, during the coronavirus pandemic, Moore helped the administration hand out laptops to students.
“No one asked him to do it,” Martin said. “No one told him to do it. He just did it, and we found out about it afterwards. And there’s so many stories like that about Devin.”
Moore’s athletic gifts have played an undeniable role in his success, but the reason he is on the precipice of achieving his dreams has just as much to do with the full person.
In January, he was named the 2025 GatorMade x Danny Wuerffel Man of the Year, the University of Florida’s honor recognizing leadership, community service and perseverance among student-athletes.
The NFL draft will take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, and Moore has a chance to be Naples High’s first selection since Carlos Hyde in 2014. Collier County's last NFL draft pick was Deadrin Senat, who was taken in the third round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2018.
“It's a blessing just to be in this position,” Moore said. “Definitely surreal.”
Several mock drafts have teams picking Moore in the middle rounds of the draft, likely in the third or fourth round. He is the 15th-ranked cornerback on ESPN’s Big Board.
Moore was a four-star recruit out of Naples, where he posted 160 tackles and 10 interceptions in 41 games and was invited to the 2022 All-American Bowl as a junior.
He originally committed to Notre Dame before flipping to Florida in December 2021, choosing the Gators over Alabama, LSU and Auburn.
His time at Florida was complicated by injuries, but Moore was able to fully showcase his proficiency this past season.
Starting every game for the Gators, Moore set career highs across the board with 35 total tackles, two interceptions, three pass deflections, a sack, and a forced fumble.
“It meant everything,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs at Florida. I had a good amount of injuries that affected me. But every time I got the opportunity to go out there, play with my brothers, and play for the brand – the University of Florida – it was amazing. And the season might not have went how we wanted it to go, but the relationships and experiences I had at the University of Florida was something I'll always remember.”
Moore underwent groin surgery after the season, and, as a result, he said he wasn’t at 100 percent for all of the combine testing. In spite of that, Moore has shined during the pre-draft process with NFL teams high on his natural gifts and size at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds.
“They said they love my length, kind of like my physical features,” Moore said. “The length, the speed, the quickness at my size, the coverage ability.
“And then also from a mental aspect just how smart of a player I am, the character I have. Most importantly, they feel like I'll be a great fit for the organization to come in and help the organization.”
Moore trained in Frisco, Texas, ahead of his Pro Day in March and is now working out back home in Naples as he prepares for rookie OTAs.
“You don’t realize how much specification and little details that matter going into the combine and Pro Day training,” he said. “So being able to really hone in and focus on those little things taught me a lot. And then also just working out, you’re directly working towards your dream, so it’s been a blessing.”