Jets rookie receiver Elijah Moore impressing early with big plays
New York Jets second-round draft pick Elijah Moore works out during NFL football rookie camp, Friday, May 7, 2021, in Florham Park, N.J. Credit: AP/Bill Kostroun
FLORHAM PARK, N.J.
Zach Wilson walked to the line of scrimmage at his own 20, called out the signals and dropped back to pass. Under a heavy rush, he stepped up in the pocket to avoid the sack and found Elijah Moore streaking down the middle of the field on a deep post route.
The rookie quarterback flung the ball half a football field’s worth and hit Moore in stride with a perfect throw. Moore raced in for the touchdown to the cheers of Jets fans desperate to believe that this can be something they see on game day, too, not just on a Saturday in training camp.
Those fans will be happy to know that first-year coach Robert Saleh believes this can and will happen in the not-too-distant future. He’s neither guaranteeing nor predicting stardom for the Jets’ second-round receiver out of Mississippi, but he believes what he’s seeing is legitimate.
"He’s been impressive," Saleh said of Moore, who last season had a school-record 86 catches for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns in only eight games. "We feel very confident that he’s going to find ways to get better."
Moore is 21, but Saleh sees a maturity that belies the receiver’s youth.
"I was telling somebody [Monday] morning, he’s kind of an old soul," Saleh said. "He’s already ahead of the game with regards to how he studies, takes care of his body, the way he approaches practice, the way he approaches each rep. This game is very important to him, and he shows it with his actions every day."
There was more good work on Monday, although not the 50-yards-on-a-dime play he and Wilson combined for on Saturday. There was a terrific catch over the middle midway through practice and a sure-handed catch in the left corner of the end zone on a red-zone drill later on.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet with Moore. It’s a long way from excelling in the offseason program and training camp to translating that promise into the regular season. Going against elite defensive backs is a challenge for any receiver, especially a rookie.
But Jets general manager Joe Douglas saw enough in Moore at Mississippi, where he was a first-team All-SEC pick in 2020, a consensus All-American and a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s top receiver.
Moore’s emergence as the slot receiver prompted the Jets to squeeze incumbent Jamison Crowder, a six-year veteran, to take a salary cut to remain with the team. Though there’s no reason to think about moving on from Crowder, who is a reliable target, especially for a rookie quarterback, there’s every reason to be enthused about Moore’s potential.
"He’s more than the slot," Saleh said. "He’s got the ability to play outside, inside, gadget, whatever you want him to do. The reason why he’s able to do that is because of his mental capacity. The young man is very smart. It’s very important to him, so he’s constantly studying. He knows all three positions at the receiver spot and because of it, and his ability to move around, he’s going to have a bright future."
Moore certainly isn’t intimidated by the step up in talent at this level, but he’s also not taking anything for granted.
"I just hold myself to a high standard," he said. "I learn from the guys in front of me, and whenever it’s my turn to do something, I try to do it like I’ve been there before."
Moore credits the coaching staff for finding ways to incorporate him into the offense, whether he’s running a slant or a deep route. The day before his long touchdown catch, he caught a 40-yard pass on another deep post, but this one wasn’t quite on target, and he had to adjust back to the ball.
"The coaches put us in the right position to be us," Moore said. "We all get different plays throughout the week to see what we’re all good at. It was my turn to make the play [on the post route]. The ball is in the air, I’ve got to make it."
He has made the most of almost everything thrown his way. Whether that signals success once the games start remains to be seen.
So far, you have to like what you see.
The Jets sure do.
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
