Could Steelers view WR Elijah Moore as the next Antonio Brown?

The Steelers had a Zoom assembly with Ole Miss receiver Elijah Moore. Right here’s why he might be a longshot decide for Pittsburgh early within the NFL Draft. 

The primary time I placed on Elijah Moore’s tape, I couldn’t shake the eerie resemblance between him and former Steelers star, Antonio Brown. I hate giving out these kinds of comparisons as a result of I do know that these expectations are by no means truthful – even for a prospect nearly as good as Moore. Nonetheless, apart from his lack of dimension (5’9 1/2” and 178 kilos) there are hardly any knocks on this child’s sport.

Moore began his collegiate profession taking part in behind DK Metcalf and A.J. Brown, however as a 20-year-old in 2020, he lit the stage on hearth within the SEC – the best degree of soccer within the nation. Moore effortlessly collected 86 receptions, 1,193 yards, and eight touchdowns in simply 8 video games, according to Sports Reference. He had the second-most performs of 20+ yards within the nation behind solely DeVonta Smith and his faculty dominator, market share, and breakout age are among the many greatest we’ve got seen from any huge receiver prospect to come back out lately, according to PlayerProfiler.com.

Whereas I wouldn’t go so far as to advocate that the Steelers ought to think about him with the twenty fourth general decide, I do surprise if he might be a possible fall-back plan if the participant they like isn’t accessible to them when they’re on the clock.

Why Steelers may think about Elijah Moore

Although huge receiver appears to be one of many deepest positions on the workforce and a whole luxurious at this time limit, it’s essential to think about the truth that Pittsburgh goes to need as many playmakers as potential in a quickly closing Tremendous Bowl window, and he’s a participant Ben Roethlisberger would little doubt love.

Moore was the most effective receiver within the nation at creating separation on his routes final season and he wasn’t credited with a single drop. As well as, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington are each unrestricted free brokers subsequent 12 months, and we don’t know if Diontae Johnson will be capable to bounce again from a poor efficiency in 2020.

There may be a whole lot of perception that the Steelers are very thinking about grabbing one of many high two working backs with the twenty fourth decide in Najee Harris or Travis Etienne, however this actually goes in opposition to draft developments, and Pittsburgh has taken only one first-round working again up to now 31 years (Rashard Mendenhall).

This workforce has at all times valued huge receivers extra extremely, and whereas it’s not as vital of a necessity, maybe they’ve a really excessive grade on a participant like Elijah Moore. The place this will get attention-grabbing is that the Steelers had a Zoom assembly with the proficient, younger receiver this offseason regardless of figuring out that he’s extremely unlikely to be accessible to them within the second spherical.

In each side of the sport, Moore actually does resemble Antonio Brown. Not each sub-six-foot receiver seems to be a participant that may dominate from the skin, however he’s received the talent set to be a pressure within the NFL who can win outdoors the hashes or within the slot. On high of that, Moore examined as a remarkably higher athlete than Brown popping out of school and he already sells his routes like a savvy veteran.

Elijah Moore is a whole wildcard on this 12 months’s NFL Draft, however his fast releases, flawless fingers, and terrific skill after the catch might have the Steelers pondering that he might be the following Antonio Brown for his or her workforce (with out the character points, clearly). In the event that they consider him this extremely as a soccer participant, maybe he might be on their radar with the twenty fourth general decide, underneath the proper circumstances.