Elijah Moore - WR - Ole Miss
The debate between which Moore, Elijah or Rondale, is the best prospect going into the NFL Draft this year has become a lot closer than it was earlier this offseason, here we look at Elijah’s rookie profile. Elijah Moore has done nothing but rise up everyone’s draft boards this offseason. With current pass catchers AJ Brown, DK Metcalf, and Evan Engram along with incoming rookies Elijah Moore and Kenny Yeboah, Ole Miss is becoming a pipeline for NFL talent.
Draft Results
Round: 2
Pick: 2
Team: New York Jets
Measurables
Age: 21
Height: 5′ 9″
Weight: 178 lbs
40-yard dash: 4.35
3-cone drill: 6.66
20-yard shuttle: 4.00
Vertical Jump: 36″
Broad Jump: 120″
Bench Press: 17
Analytics
| College DOM | College YPR | College Target % | Breakout Age |
|---|---|---|---|
45.5% | 13.3 | 35.2% | 19.4 |
Credit: Playerprofiler.com
College Stats
| Receiving | Formation | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Class | GP | Rec | Yds | YPC | TD | Snaps | Slot Snaps | Wide Snaps |
2018 | Ole Miss | Fr. | 11 | 36 | 398 | 11.1 | 2 | 403 | 399 | 2 |
2019 | Ole Miss | So. | 12 | 67 | 850 | 12.7 | 6 | 713 | 676 | 37 |
2020 | Ole Miss | Jr. | 8 | 86 | 1193 | 13.9 | 8 | 630 | 491 | 108 |
College Career
Elijah Moore started his career as a true freshman with modest production. Recording almost 400 yards and 2 touchdowns, Moore was in the backseat as AJ Brown and DK Metcalf showed out one more time before leaving for the NFL. Moore immediately stepped into the lead wide receiver role as a sophomore with more than 4x the receiving production than the next closes pass catcher. The performance in 2019 earned him his breakout year at the age of 19.4. The offseason after his sophomore year, Ole Miss made a splash head coach signing and decided to bring in offensive guru, Lane Kiffin.
Unsurprisingly, the offense flourished in 2020 under Kiffin’s scheme. Moore was able to tally 1250+ scrimmage yards and 8 touchdowns in only 8 games. With just 8 games of play, he earned Consensus All-American and First-team All-SEC honors. Drastically leading the team in receiving again, he decided to opt-out the last game of the regular season and the bowl game to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft. He had an impressive combine that translated to a 4.25 40-time, 98th percentile Agility Score, and top 50 percentile Burst Score (per playerprofiler).
Scouting Report
Positives:
Moore has a very well-rounded game with very few holes. He provides some of the best hands in the class, attacking the ball and having a large catch radius for a player standing at 5’9”. Viewers took notice of Elijah Moore’s offseason workout highlights that demonstrated elite route running and separation ability. He shows that ability in game as well with crisp breaks in his routes, fluid hips, and a lethal release. He can stretch the field with a great double move that defenders are forced to respect. Once behind the defense, Moore displayed solid game speed that will be more than enough to translate to the next level.
If Moore gets the ball in space, he can create plenty of yards after the catch for his team. He quickly turns upfield when he gets the ball on short passes and uses his acceleration to gain more yards on the play. Additionally, he was elusive in open space causing defenders to miss, and showed good vision following the blocks set up in front of him.
Negatives
At 5’9” and 175lbs, Moore is on the smaller side for a wide receiver you hope to be a focal point in your offense. Although he does play a majority of his snaps in the slot he has shown some success lining up out wide on occasion. Despite his strong hands, there were some alligator arm or or body catches every so often. Moore generally did not win in contested catch situations, albeit he was rarely in these situations due to his separation and route running ability.
Fans rarely saw Moore blocking for his teammates as generally, he was running decoy routes outside of the box. When he did block, he was lacking technique, usually just getting in the way of defenders rather than truly blocking. There was never a lack of effort shown on film, so this is definitely an area for improvement that he will be able to work on.
Draft Analysis
Pre Draft
Expected Draft Capital:
Late Round 1 to Round 2.
Best Draft Fits:
Moore is primarily a slot wide receiver, but he very well could have success lining out wide on occasion. He provides an ability to make an impact on special teams as well. This all leads to Moore having ample opportunity for playing time early and often. With a complete skill set and top-tier route running, he should be an immediate wide receiver 2-3 for a team with the potential to be a focal point for a team’s offense. Just about any team could utilize someone with Moore’s skillset, but ideal fits would be the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Washington Football Team, or the Philadelphia Eagles.
Post Draft
Draft Capital:
New York Jets: Rounds 2, Pick 2
Landing Spot:
The Jets added to the rebuild by selecting Elijah Moore with the second pick in the second round. The Jets need help at just about every position, and they heavily invested in the offense at the beginning of the draft. With their first four picks they selected quarterback Zach Wilson, offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, wide receiver Elijah Moore, and running back Michael Carter. On top of adding Corey Davis to a receiving core that included 2020 pick Denzel Mims and veteran Jamison Crowder, they invested a second round pick in Elijah Moore as another weapon for new quarterback Zach Wilson. The Jets appear to have learned their lesson with Sam Darnold and are working to set Wilson up for long term success.
Moore’s main competition for a starting position will be Jamison Crowder out of the slot. Denzel Mims and Corey Davis have fairly solidified roles on the outside. Moore could have some success on the outside, but based on his college career he showed much more production on the inside. This is Crowder’s last season on contract with the Jets, and the organization made it clear by selecting Moore in the second round that they see him as the future focal point in the offense. Moore will have plenty of time to develop a rapport with Wilson, and we could see him steal playing time from Crowder throughout the season as we see the talent rise to the top. These two could be a connection we are talking about for some time.
Fantasy Impact
Moore walks into an overall good situation. He is dynamic out of the slot and can create a ton of yards after the catch for Wilson. These two have a chance to develop alongside each other and be a great pairing that defenses worry about. While Moore may have to wait his turn for a year or at least a few weeks into the season due to Crowder’s presence, he has a bright future. Because of that, he isn’t the best redraft option as playing time isn’t as clear cut as some of these other wide receivers. But for dynasty, Moore is a terrific addition to your squad in the early to middle rounds of super flex rookie drafts. Dynasty managers can let him develop for a year or so, and then he will provide you low end wide receiver one to high end wide receiver two production for years to come. With his skillset and talent, he is a high ceiling/high floor prospect for his career.
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Image Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports
