WR, Western Michigan
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 195 lbs
Class: Junior
Moore played quarterback and cornerback in high school and was initially recruited as a defensive back. He was rated as a three-star recruit in 2019 and received offers from just two FBS schools. He committed to Western Michigan, where he made the switch to wide receiver. Moore had an immediate impact as a true freshman before a breakout 2021 season that saw him earn First Team All-MAC honours.
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Strengths
Moore offers a very good athletic profile that should translate well to the NFL level. His short area quickness is particularly impressive and allows him to create separation at the top of his routes. He is a fluid mover in space too, possessing the change of direction ability and loose hips that you want in a wide receiver.
This helps to make him one of the more dynamic YAC threats in this year’s class. Western Michigan often utilised him on screens and sweeps thanks to his good vision and quick twitch which allowed him to maximise potential yardage. He also has sufficient long speed to take short catches and turn them into big gains for the offense. 41% of Moore’s yardage came after the catch in 2021 and he led all FBS receivers with 26 forced missed tackles.
Moore isn’t just a small and shifty receiver though. He has shown he can win on the outside, with over 65% of his snaps in 2021 coming as a boundary receiver. He is very creative with his release package, understanding how to influence cornerbacks with subtle movements and foot fires. Moore also plays bigger than his size and showed the physicality to beat press coverage. His hand usage at the line is particularly impressive and should allow him to translate his alignment versatility to the NFL level.
Moore also offers very reliable hands and will catch almost everything inside the strike zone. This was a standout aspect of his game throughout his college career. Moore logged just seven drops on his 177 career catchable targets. He is also excellent working over the middle of the field and showed the toughness required to make catches with contact imminent.
Weaknesses
Whilst Moore had an excellent career with Western Michigan, there are some concerns about his game. His biggest limitation is his ability to work outside his frame. He doesn’t possess the biggest catch radius and had issues when asked to adjust to poor ball placement. Whilst his competitive toughness is great, there are also obvious limitations in contested situations too. This is likely to show up even more at the NFL level.
The other issue with Moore will be the level of competition he faced at Western Michigan. Whilst he flashed potential against better opposition – including 10 catches for 123 yards against Pittsburgh – the bulk of his production came against lower level competition. How he will hold up against NFL-level talent on a weekly basis remains something of an unknown.
Bottom Line
Moore has a dynamic skillset and plays much bigger than his size. His easy movement skills and good hands will get him on the field in the NFL and teams will be excited by his upside given that he only has three years playing the position. Concerns around his catch radius and level of competition are legitimate, but he should still develop into a quality slot receiver at the next level.
Ideal role: Slot receiver with plenty of YAC opportunities
Round projection: 2nd round
