Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 210 pounds
School: Maryland Terrapins
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.42 seconds (fifth among wide receivers)
Bench Press: 15 reps
Vertical Jump: 39.5 inches (second among wide receivers)
Broad Jump: 11 feet (best among wide receivers)
3-cone drill: 6.95 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.07 seconds (third among wide receivers)
D.J. Moore 2018 NFL Draft Profile
D.J. Moore was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA where he was taught a strong work ethic that has carried him throughout his football career. He attended Imhotep Charter High School and became a standout receiver during his junior season tallying 832 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. As a senior, he was voted team captain and finished with 1,012 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns while earning All-State honors. He was the top-ranked wide receiver in the state of Pennsylvania according to Rivals.com and participated in the Offense-Defense All-American game. He eventually committed to the University of Maryland.
As a freshman, Moore received very little playing time and finished the year with 25 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore year is when Moore really started to get some national recognition as he led the team with 41 receptions, 637 receiving yards and six touchdowns catching passes from three different starting quarterbacks. He also served as the primary kickoff returner and averaged 22.3 yards per return. Moore helped the Terrapins to a 6-7 record, their best under head coach D.J. Durkin, and made their only bowl appearance during Moore’s career.
While Moore was due for a big junior year, the Terrapins were not. The quarterback carousel continued as Moore caught a pass from four different quarterbacks last year and the team finished with a 4-8 record. Moore tallied up career highs in receptions (80), receiving yards (1,033) and touchdowns (8) despite Maryland’s lackluster season. Moore declared for the draft at the conclusion of the 2017 season and had a monster performance showing off his athleticism at the 2018 NFL Combine.
Strengths
- very effective in open space;
- lined up in both slot and boundary receiver positions;
- dynamic kickoff/punt returner;
- settles into the open spaces of zones nicely;
- considered one of the hardest workers everywhere he’s played;
- has excellent top-end speed to blow the top off a defense;
- excelled in screen plays;
- adjusts to the ball in the air very well;
- has great footwork along the sidelines;
- played very well for a poor offensive system.
Weaknesses
- ran a lot of screen routes or deep routes, will need to learn the full route tree;
- really struggled to find the end zone against the better Big Ten defenses;
- lacks burst at times when making breaks;
- did not win a high percentage of 50-50 balls;
- needs to work on crisper route running;
- played a lot against off-man coverages or zone coverages.
NFL Comparison: T.Y. Hilton
Teams with Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projection: Mid to late first round
Bottom Line
Moore is an absolute beast in open space and any team in need of a slot receiver should have a strong interest in him. He played well for a bad offense but a lot of his best plays were during ‘garbage time’ or against weaker teams in the Big Ten. Despite that, he has received continued praise for his willingness to put in work and is extremely athletic which means he could have a lot of untapped potential. With the right receiver coach and the right system, Moore can be a very effective slot receiver instantly and dominate for many years to come.
