EAGAN, Minn. – The Vikings cornerbacks room is welcoming another new name.
Minnesota has signed free agent Fabian Moreau, the team announced Wednesday.
Most recently a member of the Broncos, Moreau played 16 games in 2023 and made 11 starts. Moreau recorded 46 tackles for Denver, as well as an interception, one tackle for loss and seven passes defensed.
The 30-year-old was drafted in 2017 by Washington (81st overall) and played his first four seasons there. Moreau has also spent time with the Falcons (2021) and Giants (2022).
Here are five things to know about the Vikings new corner:
1. From offense to defense
Moreau attended Western High School in Davie, Florida, where he stood out as a running back and wide receiver and received offers from multiple college programs. He committed to UCLA, intentionally choosing a program 3,000 miles from home to "get out of my comfort zone," and there was asked about moving to defense.
Moreau embraced the challenge and dived into watching highlights of former Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson on YouTube.
"He's from my area [in Florida]," he said in a 2021 interview. "I was like, man, this is something that I can do. And I made the switch."
2. Super senior
Moreau played five seasons at UCLA, taking a redshirt year after the first three games of the 2015 season because of an injury.
After playing mainly on special teams and as a reserve DB during his 2012 rookie campaign, he became a full-time starter in 2013 and never looked back. In his final season for the Bruins, he led the team with 10 passes defensed and was named honorable mention All-Pac-12 by conference coaches.
Moreau was part of a secondary that gave up a Pac-12 low 12 passing touchdowns during the 2016 season. The unit ranked second in the conference in pass defense efficiency (105.8).
He overlapped at UCLA with former Vikings linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, who were drafted by Minnesota in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
3. Battled through adversity
Entering the 2017 NFL Draft, Moreau was initially ranked as that year's fifth-best cornerback. He was invited to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine, where he opted against participating in the bench press, instead deferring to UCLA's Pro Day. While completing the lifting exercise there, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle that required surgical repair.
Moreau's injury caused him to fall from a first-round projection to where he was ultimately selected in the third by Washington. He was the 12th cornerback selected.
"Waking up in the morning [after surgery] and realizing that this was my journey … I just put my mind into it and rehabbed well," he said. "Once we got to the season, my rookie year, I felt normal again."
4. Proud of Haitian heritage
Born and raised in Florida, Moreau is deeply proud of his Haitian heritage and has looked up to Haitian players who helped pave the way in the NFL, including former Washington teammate Pierre Garçon.
Moreau was particularly inspired by Garçon's relief efforts in Haiti following the devastating 2010 earthquake and the way he brought attention to the country.
"He opened the door for the Haitian culture," he said. "Now there's a lot of Haitians in the league and a lot of people know about Haiti [and] know that's a country that has people full of pride."
5. Advocate for Alzheimer's awareness
Moreau is passionate about raising awareness around Alzheimer's, supporting those with the condition and raising funding for research.
He explained in 2019 that after losing his grandfather to the disease, his eyes were opened to how many people are impacted by it. Moreau has repped the Alzheimer’s Association multiple times for the NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative.
