2021 Rookie Class: An Early Look at Elijah Moore, WR Ole Miss
Elijah Moore has built an impressive resume from his time as a prep through a junior season at Ole Miss in which he finished second in the nation in receiving yards. Despite this solid body of work, he remains off the radar of many dynasty managers. Is it due to playing at Ole Miss? That did not stop DK Metcalf and AJ Brown from getting plenty of hype. But at 5’9” and 185 pounds, Moore’s workout pics will not get the attention of those two. Perhaps it is a lack of highlight-worthy plays to catch our attention on Twitter. Indeed, this notorious clip is the one for which he is best known.
Elijah Moore should have been rewarded for this celebration, not penalized.
Creative and executed perfectly. Let ‘em play, ref! #EggBowl pic.twitter.com/WDN3965SUN
— Wes Blankenship (@Wes_nship) November 29, 2019
With that out of the way, in this piece, we will use multiple tools to form an objective, data-driven view of Moore as a dynasty asset.
AS A RECRUIT
Moore played his prep ball at the legendary St Thomas Aquinas program in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was rated a four-star, top-200 national recruit and had offers from top programs including Alabama, Ohio State and LSU. He ultimately committed to Ole Miss in 2018, shortly after Hugh Freeze was replaced by Matt Luke as head coach.
He played in the prestigious Under Armour All-America Game and participated in The Opening Finals. Extended clips of his participation at that scouting event are shown here:
WR Elijah Moore in HS 😮@e_moore03 pic.twitter.com/4bpQzfNSEI
— ALL22 (@TheOpening) April 16, 2020
COLLEGIATE CAREER
Moore appeared in every game as a true freshman at Ole Miss and made four starts. He finished third on the team with 36 receptions for 398 yards and two touchdowns. As a sophomore, he started all 12 games and led the Rebels in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns. He was a member of the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
In 2020, Moore was named a first-team All-American by the AP and several other outlets. He was also an All-SEC First Team selection, a Biletnikoff Award Finalist and a Maxwell Award Semifinalist. He opted out of the remainder of the season on December 18. At that time, he was second in the nation in receiving yards, producing a line of 86-1,193-8 in just eight games.
Statistics from Sports Reference.
Consider his impressive game logs from 2020:
Statistics from Sports Reference.
ATHLETIC PROFILE
Moore has the athletic profile one would expect from a wide receiver his size. He is fast and elusive. While his explosion may not pop off the screen, he is nevertheless adept at making defenders miss. This two-minute clip shows every touch from his season-opening, 227-yard performance against Florida. Note how efficiently he makes people miss in traffic simply by ducking his head or making a subtle sidestep. His efficiency of motion suggests an athlete who intuitively sees the field and quickly implements moves to gain extra yards. For example, the shovel pass at the 0:33 mark only goes for ten yards but Moore uses subtle moves to set up his block and elude two defenders.
Elijah Moore was Corral's primary target for Ole Miss on Saturday. Stat Line: 10/227/0
Used on 1st and 2nd down often
Excels in short passing game from the slot
Like his YAC ability
Physical for his size
Good hands#Devy All The Time pic.twitter.com/qkRrf9E9H9— Brandon Lejeune (@DevyDeepDive) September 30, 2020
He will not routinely overpower defenders in contested catch situations, but Lane Kiffin realized his athletic profile and manufactured touches at all three levels of the field as a focal point of the offense.
STRENGTHS
- Productive speed/quickness combination
- Will be a 21-year old rookie
- Clean bill of health through 31 career collegiate games
WEAKNESSES
- May be best suited in the slot
- Draft capital may be capped as a day two selection
- Difficult to project as a team’s alpha receiver
For a closer look at Moore’s game, check out his DLF Prospect Page for news, articles, and value data points.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Some mock drafts have Moore as a first-round selection but this seems optimistic. A more realistic projection falls somewhere on day two (i.e., round two or three). From high school through college, his pedigree is that of a quality prospect. He pops on tape and had a productive career in the nation’s toughest conference. Though athletic, he lacks the physical profile of a surefire first-round selection. This class of wide receivers is deep. Players such as Ja’Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith are more traditional first round projections. However, day two draft capital would cap an impressive profile to create strong dynasty value.
DYNASTY VALUE
The DLF Devy Rankings include all college players. Moore is the 18th-ranked player – and the WR10 – across all classes and positions. He is the 11th-ranked player among 2021 prospects, suggesting a late first-round rookie draft spot in one quarterback leagues. In 2QB/superflex leagues he would be pushed down to the top of round two.
In terms of Devy ADP, he is down at 29th overall, among players such as North Carolina’s Dyami Brown and ex-Florida State wide receiver Tamorrion Terry. This disparity in rank suggests the broader devy community is lower on Moore than the DLF crew. Expect this difference to minimize as the NFL Draft process plays out.
In a recent staff-only 1QB rookie mock draft, Moore was selected at 1.11 between Memphis running back Kenneth Gainwell and North Carolina RB Javonte Williams. In the superflex mock he was not selected in the first round.
The DLF Cornerstone Rankings combine first and second-year NFL players with 2021 prospects. Here he is the 53rd-ranked player (WR29). Other wide receivers in that area include KJ Hamler, Oklahoma State’s Tylan Wallace and Florida’s Kadarius Toney.
Gone are the days of having to wait for a third or fourth-year wide receiver breakout. In 2020, five rookie receivers finished in the top 36 at the position. But even several non-producers are retaining their value. An astounding 11 rookie wide receivers are included in the top 100 players in the DLF Dynasty Rankings. Though Moore projects to the fringe of this cohort, day two draft capital would complete a quality prospect profile and secure a spot in the late first round of rookie drafts, or the early second in superflex leagues.
- 20/20: Jameson Williams, WR Alabama - February 26, 2022
- Cornerstone Report: Week Nine - November 12, 2021
- Cornerstone Report: Week Eight - November 5, 2021
