clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

2011 NFL Draft: Denarius Moore Time

We love ourselves some Denarius Moore. Bray-to-Moore was a fantastic combination, and his emergence as a reliable deep threat and all-purpose purveyor of awesome was no small part of why 2-6 became 6-6-1. 47 receptions isn't a staggering number, but 981 yards is pretty impressive. So, for that matter, is the 20+ YPC that entails. Moore's proven himself as a legitimate deep threat as this level.

Going against him are a couple of other numbers: 5'11.5", 4.43. That second number is his 40 time, which is good but not outstanding at the NFL level. So, for that matter, is his height, which isn't a detriment but isn't exactly a plus. Unfortunately for Moore, there are no shortage of NFL wide receivers who have similar numbers and similar profiles, and this is a case where supply exceeds demand.

Receivers aren't as fungible a group as RBs are, but once you get away from the elite, there are no shortage of "pretty good" types, which looks like Moore's ceiling for now. He'll get by that through hard work and a couple of breaks, but as long as he gets drafted by around the 4th round or so, then he'll be fine. (Historically, the odds of being an impact player drop heavily once you get to the 5th round or later.) It's not the worst fate in the world to be a depth WR, but it means that Moore looks like he's headed for a journeyman career.

For now, that is.

The one thing the NFL is legitimately good about is finding potential diamonds in the rough and elevating them to bigger roles. For all the scouting and measuring, some guys just naturally excel in certain situations. For Moore last year, that was the installation of Tyler Bray as the starting QB, which caused him to change from Denarius Moore, Decent WR, to Denarius Moore, Destroyer of Secondaries. Maybe that connection was all he needed, in which case he needs to hang around for two seasons there's no reason he can't forge that kind of connection with another QB.

Moore needs to establish the drive to succeed; I hope he's able to catch on with a team for a few seasons, as getting consistent coaching will only be a good thing given what's he dealt with here. It may even be enough to become a star; careers have turned on less.