Why WR DJ Moore Is Fifth-Most Important Player to Bills' 2026 Success

As the team enjoys its summer break, Bills On SI will unveil its Top 25 Player Rankings (based upon expected impact) for the 2026 season. The ranking methodology is based on positional value, past performance and expectations for any player. WR DJ Moore's much-awaited role as Buffalo's No. receiver lands him at No. 5.

The Chicago Bears were the Buffalo Bills' partner in making their biggest move of the offseason. They helped them get something they've been lacking since Stefon Diggs' departure in 2024.

Buffalo acquired wide receiver DJ Moore in conjunction with a draft pick swap with Chicago in early March, bringing his four 1,000-yard receiving seasons into the fold.

Since his NFL debut in 2018, Moore ranks seventh with 608 receptions and 8,213 receiving yards, proving himself as one of the NFL's most reliable targets in the late 2010s and early 2020s.

Moore is not too far off from his career bests, having tallied 1,364 receiving yards on 98 catches in 2023. With Chicago in a time of transition the last two seasons, he'll seek to prove he still has his abilities in full capacity with a season as the undisputed go-to receiver for Josh Allen.

DJ Moore's 2025 season

CALEB WILLIAMS TO DJ MOORE

BEARS WIN pic.twitter.com/3ShtuowNYm
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025

Moore helped the Bears place in the top 10 in the NFL in passing offense for the first time since 2013, though he wasn't a big part of it. He finished with a career-low 50 catches and 682 yards, though he caught 6 touchdowns. However, his play wasn't a major reason for such a low stat total.

The Bears' offense was filled with young talent, from receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden to tight end Colston Loveland. Odunze missed five games in 2025, giving Moore a bigger role, only caught one pass in three of those five games.

The 29-year-old was the most effective at crossing routes and post routes in 2025, according to his Next Gen Stats charts, recording a 67% success rate against man coverage. It will be a big boon for Allen, who faced the most man coverage out of any quarterback in 2025, according to ESPN analyst Mina Kimes, who also noted that Allen's numbers dropped significantly against man defense.

It also helps for a receiver to work with a familiar face to help him get accustomed to a new team, and that is the case with Moore and Brady. With that help, the Maryland product should easily surpass Khalil Shakir's team-leading total of 719 receiving yards in 2026.

Old friends not forgotten

Oct 3, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore (2) against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports

Moore played two seasons under new head coach Joe Brady with the Carolina Panthers, and he became a consistent option despite having Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold (before his revival and subsequent Super Bowl win), an aging Cam Newton and P.J. Walker as his quarterbacks.

Moore caught 153 passes for 1,350 yards and 8 touchdowns in those two seasons, and Brady doesn't see any change in one of his most talented players.

"Five years is a long time," Brady said in March. "But the player that I turned on the tape wasn’t any different in terms of the way that he moved, the skill set, the opportunity, the big plays, using him in a bunch of different ways."

Whether it be Brady's continued reliance on screen passes or downfield aggressiveness, Moore's abilities will be brought out to their fullest in 2026.

The rest of the Top 25 so far:

25. RB Ty Johnson, June 16
24. CB Maxwell Hairston, June 17
23. K Tyler Bass, June 18
22. CB Dee Alford, June 19
21. LB Dorian Williams, June 20
20. RB Ray Davis, June 22
19. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, June 23
18. G Alec Anderson, June 24
17. TE Dawson Knox, June 25
16. DT Deone Walker, June 27
15. TE Dalton Kincaid, June 28
14. G O'Cyrus Torrence, June 29
13. LB Terrel Bernard, July 1
12. C Connor McGovern, June 30
11. LB Greg Rousseau, July 2
10. WR Khalil Shakir, July 3
9. LB Bradley Chubb, July 7
8. S Cole Bishop, July 8
7. OT Spencer Brown, July 14
6. DT Ed Oliver, July 15

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