The 2021 NFL Draft season is on us and the initial wave of cost-free agency is now above. Now, scouts, coaches, and standard professionals will strike the highway as all eyes will turn to the draft.
Among the the 32 teams making their rosters to compete for the future Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who maintain 10 picks in this season’s draft — such as the No. 1 in general select. The Jaguars are entering a new period under Head Mentor City Meyer, and the 2021 draft will serve as a catalyst to the Jaguars’ rebuild going into the long term.
As we march nearer and closer to April’s draft, we will seem at particular person draft prospective customers and how they would potentially in shape with the Jaguars. In its place of on the lookout at any negatives, we are going to search at what the gamers do properly and if they could match what the Jaguars will need at the distinct position or placement.
In this version, we consider a dive into Ole Pass up huge receiver Elijah Moore’s recreation and how he gits into the Jaguars’ new offense below City Meyer, Darrell Bevell, and eventually Trevor Lawrence. Does Moore’s video games make feeling for what the Jaguars are missing on offense?
Overview
Rated a four-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals as a member of the 2018 recruiting class, Elijah Moore manufactured an impact on Ole Miss and its offense from the very begin, even if it experienced D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown now firmly in place. He appeared in every single game as a legitimate freshman, returning kicks and catching 36 passes for 398 yards (11.05 yards for every catch) and two touchdowns. In his first job commence, he established the file for the most receptions and yards ever by an Ole Miss freshman in a one match with 11 catches for 129 yards.
Moore’s creation greater as his part expanded in 2019, catching 67 passes for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns, main the staff in getting. This incorporated 143 receiving yards and a landing towards the No. 1 rated LSU Tigers, the eventual national champions.
Moore concluded his Ole Miss occupation with his best year, major the crew in catches (67), yards (850), and touchdowns (six). This gained him AP first-team honors along with Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith. Many thanks to a stellar final season, Moore finished his university profession in the Ole Skip file guides, tied for 3rd in receptions (189), fourth in receiving yardage (2,441) and sixth in acquiring touchdowns (16).
What Elijah Moore Does Nicely
Although Elijah Moore lacks great size (5-foot-9, 178 lbs), he definitely does not enjoy like it. He is a unusual slot receiver who is constructed with these a small stature but nevertheless excels at the bodily factors of the position. He exhibits reputable strength at the catch place to keep on to catches whilst absorbing hard hits and his toughness across the center and downfield could never ever be questioned at Ole Skip. He will be typecast a little bit because of to his dimensions, but his efficiency as a goal on contested catches was incredibly impeccable.
Then there is Moore’s perform after the capture. He is just not just elusive in the sense that he will steer clear of defenders, but he does a superior occupation of slipping away from tackles and breaking as a result of tender speak to to build additional yards. He also has obviously organic instincts as a ball-carrier, promptly acquiring upfield with ease and transitioning from receiver to runner swiftly.
Even though Moore’s energy and toughness may perhaps shock defenders, one thing that will not come as a surprise is his athleticism. He is explosive off the line of scrimmage and his rapid and sudden ft through his routes can set defenders in blenders. He is equipped to sink and explode with his breaks, choosing up speed and finding effortless separation from guy coverage as very long as he keeps a cornerback’s arms off of him. He has the speed to threaten a defense more than the best as a vertical danger as effectively, in particular due to the fact he eats up cushions in coverage the way he does.
This form of athleticism was exhibited at Moore’s pro working day as he place up some definitely elite numbers. He recorded a 6.66-second 3-cone, ran a 4.35-second 40-lawn sprint, and recorded a 4.00-next shuttle. His explosion figures weren’t as impressive, but that matches up with his activity.
Then there is Moore’s flexibility. As a receiver, his alignment was effectively only as a slot, but he was also applied as a gadget-kind player at occasions, getting screens, jet sweeps, and performing out of the backfield. He was supplied this sort of function because of to his capability to get yards right after the catch and the truth that obtaining the ball in his hands was Ole Miss’s best chance to acquire every week, which speaks volumes about his talent set.
How Elijah Moore Would Fit With the Jaguars
An uber-athletic slot receiver with good fingers, great routes, and gadget participant choices? Yeah, that will in shape with an City Meyer crew just fine.
There are not lots of projections in this class that are a lot easier than Moore’s. He does so numerous things properly that the only serious destructive with his video game is the actuality that he is 5-foot-9. Because of to his sizing, he may be restricted to the slot early on because he seldom saw press coverage in higher education, but he has the abilities to earn at all stages of the discipline, which is a trait the Jaguars have in their other leading receivers.
The Jaguars have their starting a few receivers presently in D.J. Chark, Laviska Shenault, and Marvin Jones, but they could however include an aspect of speed. Moore delivers velocity in bunches and could operate out of the slot when the Jaguars make use of four receivers. He could also purpose in a way as the team’s change of tempo managing again, taking screens, and made performs out of the backfield like he did at Ole Skip.
If the Jaguars want to incorporate any kind of receiver in the draft, it is a speedy slot receiver who is hazardous with the ball in his arms. Moore’s attributes and monitor file of generation in the SEC make him a very good match for a Jaguars workforce that shouldn’t be done including to its receiver unit.
Verdict
Elijah Moore reminds me a large amount of the Justin Jefferson evaluation from previous season. When you won’t be able to consider of any 1 unique area the player struggles in, probabilities are he can very likely be an affect participant early. The only explanation Moore isn’t talked about as a prime-15 pick is because of to his top.
The Jaguars face a challenging final decision when it comes to receivers and the No. 25 total decide. On one particular hand, Moore fits their team requires and is likely the very best pure slot receiver in the draft. On the other hand, this is a deep draft with slot types and whoever the Jaguars’ rookie receiver is in 2021, he will most likely have to be the No. 4 receiver.
But these queries ought to be washed away if Moore is on the board at No. 33. He has to start with-round expertise and if the Jaguars hadn’t signed Marvin Jones, I would probably say finding him at No. 25 would be a justifiable move. It would continue to be a justifiable shift at No. 33 even with Jones in the fold, even so, as it would be way too fantastic of a value to move up.
Moore matches the Jaguars and would give Trevor Lawrence a gifted slot target for a long time and years. The only genuine question is what sort of price the Jaguars could get for Moore, whose draft assortment would seem to be someplace inside of the best-40 picks.
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