Ayers, Moore not selected in first round

Former UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers and junior safety Rahim Moore were not selected tonight in the first round of the NFL Draft at New York City’s Radio Music Hall.

Ayers, who is in New York City for the draft, was projected to go in the first round for much of the draft process, even as he slipped on the boards following a poor NFL combine showing. But in recent days, talk of Ayers falling to the second round started to creep in, and Ayers joined teammate Rahim Moore as one of only a few players left in the green room.

Ayers had 68 tackles, including 10 for loss, four sacks and two interceptions as a junior, after a breakout sophomore season. Saddled by myriad injuries for much of the second half of 2010, Ayers was not able to replicate the production of his sophomore season, when he had 75 tackles, six sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and four interceptions.

Moore was not projected in the first round but thought he had a chance to sneak in, he said on Tuesday. Moore had 77 tackles but only one interception as a junior in 2010, a year after leading the nation in interceptions with 10.