Malachi Moore urged to 'step up' amid losing battle for starting job

Among the most heated position battles remaining at New York Jets training camp lies on the backend of the defense, with the starting safety spot opposite Minkah Fitzpatrick currently without a named player.

The Jets' communications team went so far as to name all three of Dane Belton, Andre Cisco, and Malachi Moore at first-team safety on the first unofficial depth chart of the offseason.

According to recent reports coming out of training camp, Belton has been the one making the most plays, impressing with his sure-fire tackling and propensity for playmaking.

But is there a particular defensive back the Jets wish would step up and put a stranglehold on the competition? A player the current regime invested a draft pick in?

New York Jets likely wish Malachi Moore was making a stronger case for himself

Moore, the Jets' fourth-round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, hasn't really stood out much throughout training camp this summer, which is starting to become a problem.

New York has already invested a decent amount in his development and gave him ample playing time throughout his rookie season. The former Alabama standout appeared in all 17 games for the Jets last season, starting 14 of them.

He wasn't particularly good, earning a 58.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, but the hope was that he would take his lumps as a rookie and let it help him develop into a better player heading into Year 2.

So far, that has not happened. Moore is clearly being outplayed by the likes of Belton in training camp, and that's an issue considering the Jets wanted him to be a future mainstay on their defense.

That 2025 draft class continues to age poorly for general manager Darren Mougey.

Rich Cimini tells New York Jets DB Malachi Moore to 'step up'

ESPN's Rich Cimini urged Moore to step up and put himself in a position to win the starting safety job opposite Fitzpatrick, a sentiment that the Jets' coaching staff likely shares.

"Step up, man! It's time to step up! You were a fourth-round pick last year; he got a lot of experience at Alabama, he was a four-year player at Alabama. It's like, come on now is your chance; take the job."

With three preseason games and several weeks of training camp to make his case, there is still time for Moore to do just that.

But the fact of the matter is he hasn't done it quite yet, and that's certainly a red flag that the 24-year-old safety just isn't ready to be counted on at this point in his career.

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