Elijah Moore named darkhorse for Rookie of the Year
New York Jets’ rookie wide receiver Elijah Moore has wasted no time in impressing coaches, teammates, and media that have covered fall camp.
The former Ole Miss standout is a trendy candidate to win Rookie of the Year for many publications, including PFF.
What Moore lacks in size, he makes up for in incredible speed, change of direction, route running, and hands. PFF’s Anthony Treash gave us a great summary of his physical traits in his write-up on the speedy wideout.
“Moore stands at 5-foot-9 and weighs in at 178 pounds with arms at just over 30 inches. All three of those are at or under the 10th percentile among NFL wide receivers historically. But Moore’s measurements were hardly the talk of his pro day. His incredible athletic testing numbers took center stage, verifying his on-field performance in college. He recorded a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, a 4.00-second short shuttle and a 6.66-second three-cone.”
Many of the early reports from Jets training camp have been that Jets quarterback Zach Wilson has formed an excellent connection with his rookie receiver. Check the video below.
AJ BROWN ON ELIJAH MOORE
Former Ole Miss teammate AJ Brown even thought that Elijah Moore was better than him coming into the the NFL. He had high words of praise for Moore on the “Raw Room” podcast.
“He’s going to go crazy this year with the Jets, though,” Brown said. “Real talk. He’s a real sleeper. I’ll put my money on him for Offensive Rookie of the Year; without a doubt, over anybody. And I’m not even discrediting the guys that went ahead of him; nobody is messing with him.”
Moore’s record-setting 2020 season at Ole Miss
Elijah Moore was one of the most exciting receiver prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft class. He set the college football world on fire in 2020 with former Ole Miss QB Matt Corral.
The tandem teamed up to be one of the best wide wide receiver-quarterbacks duos in Ole Miss history, and Elijah Moore’s name got plastered all over the Ole Miss record books in the process.
Moore became the only Rebel in school history to surpass the 200-yard receiving mark three times in his career, all of which came in the 2020 season. He torched Vanderbilt when he hauled in 14 catches for 238 yards and three touchdowns; all career highs and school records.
Against South Carolina, Moore once again dominated, snagging 13 balls for 225 yards and two touchdowns. His 91-yard receiving touchdown from Matt Corral was the longest pass play in Ole Miss school history. The Florida native became the fastest Ole Miss receiver to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark (seven games).
After it was all said and done, Moore hauled in 86 catches for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns in 2020. Keep in mind, he racked up those stats in just eight games, which makes his 2020 campaign even more impressive.