Rookie Spotlight: Elijah Moore, WR Ole Miss
Height: 5’9 1/2”
Weight: 178
Hands: 9 3/8″
Arm: 30 1/8″
40 yard dash: 4.40
NFL Comparison: John Brown, Tyler Lockett

Pros
– soft hands
– explosive
– doesn’t lose speed changing direction, elite agility
– superb framing of football
– creates separation with ease
– elite speed
– dominates at the catch point despite somewhat smaller frame

Cons
– limited route tree
– inexperience with press coverage
– sometimes sits out plays he’s not involved in as a primary target

Scouting Notes: Undersized but rocked up (17 bench reps at his Pro Day), Moore is a burst of energy out of the slot and was one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the SEC during the 2020 season. He explodes off the line, and if he doesn’t get jammed up, Moore is almost impossible to catch in the open field once the ball is in his hands. Those hands are particularly soft, by the way, and Moore rarely suffers concentration drops (10 drops on 200 catchable passes). Perhaps one of Moore’s most impressive skills is his ability to change direction without losing speed – His 6.63 second 3-cone drill at his Pro Day would have led all 2020 Combine participants. Per PlayerProfiler.com, his agility score is 97th percentile. This ability aids him in creating separation from defenders with ease, in addition to his elite speed – His 4.35 40 time at his Pro Day was second only to Henry Ruggs since the 2020 draft class. Of course Ruggs ran his 40 at the combine while Moore ran his at his pro day, so the adjusted 4.40 wouldn’t be quite as prolific, but it’s still plenty fast to get the job done. If his defender does manage to catch up with Moore before he catches the ball, he uses his athleticism to dominate at the catch point. His 90.4 grade versus man coverage was elite per PFF. Moore’s route tree is somewhat limited, but he’s extremely effective on the routes he runs, especially slants. Moore’s most glaring negative is his release. He’s often stifled by linebackers out of the slot, and this is something he’ll need to improve to be a consistent producer in the NFL. And though he’s a tour de force on plays where he gets the ball, Moore can be lackadaisical on plays he’s not directly involved in – Something that won’t fly in the pros. Minor negatives aside, Moore has tremendous upside.

Fantasy Outlook: Moore is a premier slot man who can also play out of the backfield and perhaps even out wide if he can improve his release. Even if he is relegated primarily to the slot, Moore can be extremely effective there, and his blistering speed will keep him involved on deep passes. Currently, Moore looks like a 2nd round pick in the draft, and his fantasy potential could be largely dependent on where he lands. His potentially high ceiling, particularly in PPR, makes Moore an easy pickup in dynasty formats. Before knowing NFL landing spot, it is perfectly fine to target Moore aggressively in the late-first round of traditional one-QB, 12-team dynasty leagues and the early-to-mid-second in superflex.