Finding Broncos: Scouting Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore
Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore, a talented prospect, but does he fit with the Broncos?
Measurables
- Height: 5 foot 9
- Weight: 185 pounds
Stats
Sports-Reference.com
Pros
- Has a refined route tree with good nuance and speed variation through his routes.
- Doesn’t have many drops in college, but his double catches can lead to drops in the NFL.
- Easy separator from defenders.
- Has outstanding quickness with his routes.
- Can get off press at the line with quick feet and moves.
- Major threat with the ball in his hands and transitions from receiver to ball-carrier in an instant.
- Has the speed to attack deep and be a threat to take the ball off of a defense.
- His quickness shows up in every phase, as a route runner, with his release, and as a ball carrier.
- Tough as nails and will challenge defenders as a blocker and not let himself get out physical through routes.
- Always a threat to break off a big play.
- Versatility in the scheme is there as well as a special teams returner.
Cons
- There isn’t a large catch radius and will see a large number of double catches.
- Lacks the strength to get off press if his quickness doesn’t work.
- Could use work in the film room to better identify where the weak spot in zone coverages.
- He is smaller which may see him limited to the slot despite having traits to hold up outside.
- His lack of strength shows up as a blocker despite the will.
Overview
Elijah Moore is a shifty route runner that has some gadget potential in him. While he has good hands with few drops, he does have a good number of double catches, which are concerning when transitioning to the NFL.
His routes are very well defined with plenty of nuance to have a decent impact right away, but there is still plenty of room for him to grow.
Fit with Broncos
When looking at the Denver Broncos and how Moore can fit, it would really depend on how they view the position shaping up over the next couple of years. If they view Jerry Jeudy as a boundary with either Tim Patrick or Courtland Sutton on the other side (the other gone), Moore can work as a second slot when they go four wide.
However, no matter how you slice it, Denver has two receivers, both drafted in the 2021 NFL draft that are better fits in the slot in the NFL, which makes Moore even less likely. It is also doubtful Denver will be looking at a receiver early in the draft anyways.
Grade: Round 2
Where he goes: Round 2
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