Give us Moore

Ken Kelly Posted On August 16, 2011

There’s one question that seems to be on the minds of dynasty owners – who is Denarius Moore? We attempt to answer that very question in today’s player spotlight.

In simple terms, Moore is a 6’1′, 194 pound wide receiver who was drafted in the fifth round (#148 overall) by the Oakland Raiders.

There’s much more to the story.

He’s always been a great athlete. He was the Texas State High School champion in the 110M hurdles (13.73) as Junior in 2006 and was the starting point guard on his High School basketball team while averaging 20.1 points per game. He was also a Prepstar All-American and was twice named to the Class 2A Texas sportswriters All-State first-team as a kick returner.

He played collegiately at the University of Tennessee where he posted career totals of 112 receptions, 2,004 yards and 18 touchdowns in his four years as a Volunteer. He also had six catches at South Carolina for 228 yards, second most in UT history, fifth-highest total in the FBS and most in the SEC in 2010.

His NFL combine numbers were good, but not spectacular. As expected, he ran a solid 40 time of 4.45 and was the leader in the 20-yard shuttle drill as well. Many scouts left Indianapolis with a 3rd to 6th round grade after seeing him perform. He was mostly seen as a potential situational deep threat on an NFL team.

So, what’s the big deal.

From day one of camp, Moore has been THE story in Oakland. He’s been beating the starting cornerbacks with relative ease and has been making play after play, day after day. Coach Hue Jackson began singing his praises after the first day and the hype train has continued to grow to the point to where it’s completely and totally out of control.

Since camp has opened, Moore has reportedly continued to adapt to the offense and simply brutalize the defense. Beat reporters in Oakland are even going as far as saying he’s the best wide receiver in camp. Some have even called him the best player on the field at times, citing his precision route running and above average hands. In a word, they’re saying he has “it.”

In Moore’s preseason debut, he caught three passes on six targets for 41 yards, but also had a 57 yard punt return called back due to a penalty. Hardly a disappointing debut.

Now, there are some minor red flags here. Moore has battled some nagging foot injuries in the past, though nothing too serious that would shorten his career. He’s also been known for becoming disinterested at times. Those are two things to consider as you continue to follow his progress.

One thing is certain. We haven’t seen this kind of hype for a late round wide receiver since Marques Colston burst on to the scenes for the Saints. Can Moore be the same type of player? That’s doubtful. However, he’s passing every test with flying colors so far and should be THE player to watch in preseason action this week.

The Raiders look to have unearthed a serious gem in the fifth round this year. So now, this whole situation now begs another question.

Is Al Davis no longer insane?

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Ken Kelly

Co-Founder at DynastyLeagueFootball

Ken is a corporate trainer by day an a tireless editor of dynasty content by night. His passion for the World Champion Seattle Seahawks is second only to his love of fantasy football and the dynasty format.

Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK