2021 NFL Draft: What are scouts saying about Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore?
Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore is currently projected to be picked early in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. Moors is also the seventh-best wide receiver prospect in what is a stack wide receiver class. Elijah Moore had a chance to showcase his abilities at the Ole Miss NFL Pro Day on Thursday.
Elijah Moore is smaller than the average NFL wide receiver, which has been a concern for some NFL scouts. Moore's measurements were 5 feet 9 inches tall, 184 pounds, but he stood out in his NFL Pro Day workouts.
Moore ran the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds, had a vertical jump of 36 inches and a broad jump of 121 inches. Elijah Moore's 40-yard dash time was faster than all but one wide receiver picked in the 2020 NFL draft - Henry Ruggs, who clocked in at 4.27 seconds.
Let's take a look at what NFL scouts are saying about Elijah Moore after his NFL Pro Day performance on Thursday.
2021 NFL Draft: What are NFL scouts saying about Elijah Moore after his NFL Pro Day?
It should be noted that Pro Football Focus reported that Elijah Moore had the lowest drop percentage of all the SEC wide receivers. With three SEC wide receivers projected to go within the first 20 picks in the 2021 NFL draft, it begs the question - why isn't Elijah Moore being talked about more?
Pro Football Focus also reported that Elijah Moore has never dropped a pass in the red zone in his college career at Ole Miss. Cleveland Browns star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has also talked about Elijah Moore, saying that teams are sleeping on the wide receiver and that the kid is a special talent.
Scouting Report: Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore
Strengths:
-- Moore's ability to stop-and-start again is unique and plays a lot like Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
-- Elijah Moore is tremendous against man coverage while lining up in the slot.
-- Tracking down the ball on deep passes
-- Moore runs crisp routes which helps him create separation
-- Reliable target has only dropped 10 passes in his career at Ole Miss
Concerns:
-- Elijah Moore is undersized and may be limited to playing a slot wide receiver
-- Moore doesn't have much experience when it comes to press-man coverage.
Advanced Stats:
-- Elijah Moore received a 90.4 grade versus man coverage
-- Moore also posted a 2.3% drop rate and only dropped two passes in 2020
-- His ability to make defenders miss is exceptional, forcing 18 missed tackles in eight games in 2020
-- Elijah Moore has hauled in 61 catches for 888 receiving yards from the slot.
After his performance at his NFL Pro Day, we could potentially see Elijah Moore jump in the wide receiver rankings. If he was in the 2022 NFL draft class, Elijah Moore would be the number one or two ranked wide receiver prospect. With Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle and Ja'Marr Chase rounding out the top three wide receivers, it will be hard for Moore to make a huge jump.