T.J. Moore (wide receiver, Clemson) had put together two solid years of production. His play was good enough for him to earn mentions in early mocks as a mid-to-late first-round pick. Does the tape show this level of prospect?
T.J. Moore 2027 NFL Draft Early Scouting Report
Measurables
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 200 lbs
Statistics
2025: 52 receptions for 837 yards and four touchdowns.
2024: 45 receptions for 651 yards and five touchdowns.
The Tape
Games Watched: LSU, SMU, and Penn State (Bowl Game).
Strengths
Moore has good size and experience at “X”, “Z”, and occasionally in the slot. His size naturally gives him a large catch radius, and he accentuates this by showing the ability to make the highlight reel catch. Moore can turn passes thrown high and/or behind him into catches, and he can also make one-handed catches.
Moore is most effective running slant routes. He gets off the line without dancing and shows the ability to use his hands to keep cornerbacks off his frame. He also has a nice arm-over move. His size then presents a nice target for his quarterback.
On his outside release, Moore has natural flexibility to allow him to dip his inside shoulder to help him avoid the press.
There is already detail in Moore’s route running, and that will improve as he enters his junior season. He varies his speed off the line, lulling cornerbacks into a false sense of security, before accelerating into his route. Moore will also fake a block, selling it well, and then run a route. He also has a stop-go move in his arsenal.
Clemson wide receiver T.J. Moore (bottom of the screen) has nuance to his routes. The cornerback bails and then squats. Moore with the double move to separate. The finish shows off his hands – a fantastic one-handed catch!#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/jfW8tNHT6T
— Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) July 5, 2026
Moore can find the soft spot in the zone, and he’s also effective when his quarterback extends the play. He keeps working to get open and has a nice feel for where his quarterback is and where he needs to be to give him an option.
Areas to Improve
While Moore is a solid athlete, he’s not an elite one. That shows up in terms of a lack of separation down the field and being limited after the catch.
While the slow release works at times, he overuses it, and cornerbacks are expecting it. He would be better served using it less. At times, he dances around too much, and he struggles to separate as he’s not moving at speed. To his credit, he used it less against SMU and Penn State than LSU, where he struggled to separate.
T.J. Moore (top of screen) at times will dance around too much in his routes. Here, he does so on release and then puts another little dance in his route. It doesn't work, the corner stays tight to him.#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/IoPNdKb7fc
— Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) July 5, 2026
Moore is better against off coverage than press. He has the tools to be better, and some building blocks, but he needs to be stronger and more decisive in his release against the press.
While Moore’s size suggests he would be strong in contested catch situations, that is not the case. The key area for him to improve is to become less passive in these situations. Right now, he lets the ball get into his body, and defensive backs can get their hands on the ball more easily.
A little too often, Moore seems to lose balance in his routes or after the catch. He needs to keep himself under control consistently.
Moore is not a great blocker. He’s more of a position wall-off blocker than someone who is aggressive and dominating. NFL scouts will want to see more in this area.
Key Tests in 2026
The season starts with the biggest test for Moore. A visit to Baton Rouge to take on LSU will give him the chance to show scouts how much he has improved in the last year.
Other tests for Moore include Miami (October 3), at Florida State (October 31), and the annual South Carolina game (November 28).
The full schedule can be found here.
T.J. Moore 2027 NFL Draft Projection
Moore projects as a “Z” receiver in the NFL, as he struggles in contested catch situations.
When he is more direct and decisive in his releases, he puts more stress on cornerbacks, and hopefully, he will do this consistently in 2026.
He has the size and hands to be an NFL receiver, but isn’t there yet. He may need two more years of college, but any first-round talk right now is premature.
Main Image: Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co Inc SC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
