Southern Cal produced a lot of highly coveted defensive players in the draft this year.

Trojans defensive end Kyle Moore may have been overshadowed by his teammates but the Bucs made him their fourth-round pick Sunday.

Tampa Bay traded up three spots to select Moore 117th overall. The Bucs dealt their fourth-round pick (120 overall) and one of their three, seventh-round picks (229 overall) for the chance to take Moore.

The 6-foot-5 1/4, 270-pound Moore was one of the most impressive players during Senior Bowl workouts. As a senior, he finished with 30 tackles, 9.5 for loss and a team-high five sacks.

Moore started 24 of 50 games for the Trojans, recording 76 tackles (40 solos) with seven sacks. He also recovered four fumbles, caused another and had two interceptions.

Moore could be projected as a left defensive tackle. The Bucs have not re-signed Kevin Carter and Moore is known as a good run stopper at the point of attack.

Despite more highly-touted USC defenders like linebackers Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, Jr., and Rey Maualuga, Moore was named the team's Most Inspirational Player in 2008.

"I led the team in sacks and some other things as well, but with just all the great players I had around me on defense, I felt I was kind of overshadowed,'' Moore said. "So that's why I tried to do my best in the Senior Bowl, the pro days and the combine so somebody could come see me and thank God Tampa Bay did.''

Moore said it was a competition on defense to see who could make tackles.

"That's what it was, that's why the production wasn't that high because everybody was trying to make plays,'' Moore said. "We have so many great players on our defense, you had to make your plays when you got them because if you didn't, there was somebody right behind you to make it.''