NFL Rookie Spotlight - Rondale Moore

The irresistible appeal of researching talented players from each rookie class creates an annual surge in interest as we approach every NFL Draft. Once the landing spots for each newcomer have been determined, an assessment of their new environments is blended with the evaluations of their talent in determining when to pursue each player during your fantasy drafts.

This year's collection of first-year wide receivers will be ushered into the fantasy landscape by Ja'Marr Chase, who is the premier prospect from this year's rookie class. However, there are other rookies who have captured the attention of scouts, analysts, and fantasy managers due to their potential to function as productive weapons at the professional level.  

That includes the highly explosive Rondale Moore, who was the seventh wide receiver to be selected during the aforementioned NFL Draft. Moore will be infused into an Arizona passing attack that needs an explosive presence, and his arrival should expand the Cardinals' capacity for assembling big plays. The addition of another dynamic weapon should also force opponents to redirect resources that have been dedicated toward neutralizing DeAndre Hopkins. Moore’s prospects of rewarding the Cardinals for their decision to select him will be examined in this profile.

Profile

Team: Arizona Cardinals
College: Purdue

Height/Weight: 5’ 7”, 180 lbs
2020 NFL Draft: Round 2, Pick 49

A Statistical Eruption In 2018

The Rondale Moore Show left the weight room and hit the turf Thursday night.

America's newest college football phenom lives in West Lafayette. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/HRXH1wO7lj

— Purdue Athletics (@PurdueSports) August 31, 2018

 

Moore played football as a New Albany (Indiana) Bulldog during his first two years of high school and was a member of the basketball team that captured a Class 4A State Championship. He later journeyed across the Ohio River to nearby Louisville, where he was named Kentucky Football Player of the Year at Trinity High School while performing for two teams that captured Class 6A state titles. After Trinity alumnus Jeff Brohm became the new coach at Purdue, Moore opted to become a Boilermaker - after originally committing to Texas.

Moore burst into notoriety during his freshman season by leading all wide receivers with 114 receptions in 2018. He also finished 11th overall in receiving yardage (1,258/96.8 per game), which was fueled by his ability to eclipse 100 yards in seven different matchups. That included his season-high 170 yards on 12 receptions against Ohio State. His ongoing accumulation of impressive numbers also resulted in an assembly line of eye-catching highlights during that exceptional season.

He's electrified the entire country all season - especially the B1G.

So it's no surprise that @BoilerFootball's Rondale Moore is taking home ✌ B1G awards:

B1G Receiver of the Year and Freshman of the Year. pic.twitter.com/2LwtN9o4GP

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 28, 2018

Moore also tied for eighth in receiving touchdowns (12), while exploding for 213 rushing yards on 21 attempts (10.1 per attempt). All of which propelled him to eighth overall in yards from scrimmage (1,471). He received the Paul Horning award which is annually designated for the nation’s most versatile player. Moore also became the first true freshman to attain First-Team All-American status in Big Ten history, while also being named as Wide Receiver of the Year by his conference. Moore exceeded Purdue’s previous school record for all-purpose yards during a season (2,215), and the 313 all-purpose yards that he stockpiled during his first game as a Boilermaker established yet another school record.

But the enormous momentum from his statistical eruption in 2018 was not sustained, as Moore only performed in seven contests during his final two collegiate seasons. A lingering hamstring issue restricted him to just four games as a sophomore in 2019, which dramatically limited his production (29 receptions/387 receiving yards/3 rushing yards). Moore originally decided to opt out of the 2020 season, then returned after the Big Ten reinstated their fall schedule. He also contended with a lower-body issue, which diminished his output even further during that final year (three games/35 receptions/270 receiving yards).

A Dynamic Pro-Day Performance

#Purdue WR Rondale Moore looks like he added some weight....https://t.co/La5LDBeZ46 pic.twitter.com/UkyfidmZDP

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) February 26, 2021

But despite the downturn in Moore’s availability and output during 2019-2020, he still emerged as an enticing draft prospect due to his favorable mixture of speed, strength, and elusiveness. Discussion surrounding Moore re-ignited following the results of Purdue’s Pro-Day in late March. This included concern regarding his size, as his measurement of 5’7’ resulted in a drop of two inches from his previous listing of 5’9”. But apprehension following that development was easily offset by enthusiasm for Moore’s blazing speed that was on display during the 40-yard dash (4.29).  He also delivered a 42.7-inch vertical jump and his performance presented teams with additional incentive to inject Moore’s game-changing potential into their offensive equation.

New Cardinals WR Rondale Moore once squatted 600lbs ?

Moore is 5' 7" and weighs around 180lbs

This is wild.

(via @BoilerFootball)pic.twitter.com/pwAAMELB6I

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 1, 2021

He also possesses unquestioned strength in addition to his explosiveness. That allows Moore to create matchup issues due to his acceleration, along with his effectiveness when executing cuts during his routes.

Rondale Moore is just different. pic.twitter.com/MQUf0b5YCM

— Yup (@SCoxFB) May 1, 2021

Moore can be proficient on shorter routes, where his assortment of skills helps him gain separation. That allows him to capitalize against overmatched defenders by deploying his elusiveness in space. This sustains his potential for stockpiling yardage with his game-breaking capabilities whenever the ball is in his possession.

Moore’s Favorable Landing Spot

RONDALE MOORE

WELCOME TO ARIZONA

pic.twitter.com/rQCtedxXRX

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) May 1, 2021

Moore joins an Arizona attack that ranked sixth in total offense during 2020 (384.6 yards per game). The Cardinals' ground game finished seventh, as Kyler Murray (819), and Kenyan Drake (955), combined for 1,774 of the team’s 2,237 yards (139.8 yards per game). The passing attack finished 17th (244.8 yards per game), although Arizona ranked just 24th in pass play percentage (55.4).

Murray’s 2020 passing numbers improved slightly when contrasted with his 2019 rookie season (542 attempts/64.4 completion percentage/232.6 yards per game), as he finished eighth in attempts (558/34.9 per game), 11th in completion percentage (67.2)., and 13th in yardage (248.2 per game). Murray was also ninth in intended air yards (4,340), and 10th in completed air yards (2,213). He also led all signal callers with 121 attempts on plays that were run-pass options (RPO) and generated the most passing yardage (1,107) on those plays.

Murray distributed targeted to wide receivers on 69% of his passes, which ranked sixth in that category. DeAndre Hopkins unsurprisingly commandeered a team-high 29.4 target share, which placed him second only to Davante Adams. Christian Kirk attained a 16.3 share while finishing second to Hopkins in most receiving categories. However, he did lead Arizona’s wide receivers in both yards per reception (12.9), and (aDOT) average depth of target (11.8), and tied Hopkins for the team lead in touchdowns (6).

Chase Edmonds finished fourth on the team in target share (12.5), after supplanting Drake as Arizona’s preferred receiving weapon from the backfield. That also propelled him to the sixth-highest target share among backs with 40+ targets from Weeks 4-15 (14.1%).

Only 12.5% of Arizona’s team targets were distributed to the tight end position, which ranked 29th overall. Former Cardinal Dan Arnold’s 8.3% share placed him fifth on the team, although he led Arizona with a 9.7 yards per target average.

Competition for Targets

Hopkins assembled exceptional numbers during his first season as a Cardinal while finishing second among all receivers in targets (160/10 per game), receptions (115/7.2 per game), and receiving yards (1,407/87.9 per game). Hopkins also led his position in first downs (75), was second in yards after catch (534). and finished sixth in yards before catch (873). He has now averaged 159.6 targets and 1,358 yards per season since 2014, and currently remains cemented as Arizona’s WR1.

Kirk operated outside on 72% of his routes, while finishing second among Arizona’s wide receivers in targets (79/5.6 per game), receiving yardage (621/44,4 per game), air yards (935), and red zone targets (13). But after being selected 47th overall in 2018, Kirk has now averaged 6.5 targets, 4.1 receptions, and just 49.2 yards per game. He has also finished outside the top 35 in scoring during that span (WR38/51/58).

37-year-old Larry Fitzgerald played in 13 games last season while performing from the slot on 84.9% of his routes. He also attained a 66% snap share, but was limited to career lows in targets (72/5.5 per game), receptions (54/4.2 per game), and receiving yards (409/31.5 per game). It remains unclear whether he will reappear for his 18th season. But the arrival of Moore accelerates Fitzgerald’s rapidly diminishing value if he does return.

A.J. Green was signed by the Cardinals in March. But the 2021 version of this seven-time Pro-Bowler will not present Arizona or fantasy managers with a productive resource. Green was second overall in air yards (816) and 10th in targets (58/8.3 per game) entering Week 8. But he was also just 25th in receptions (29/4.1 per game), and 45th in receiving yards (297/42.4 per game).

Green’s usage declined from Weeks 8-17 (5.1 targets per game). His inefficiency also remained painfully intact, as Green ended the year with an unsightly 45.2% catch rate. He also finished the season with career-low averages in yards per game (32.7), yards per reception (11.1), and yards per target (5.0).

Andy Isabella has failed to earn a role within the framework of Arizona’s aerial efforts since the Cardinals selected him in Round 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has only attained a 21% snap share while accumulating just 48 targets, 30 receptions, and 413 receptions during his first two seasons. Isabella’s prospects of collecting targets in Kingsbury’s attack have already dwindled significantly. But Moore’s emergence will eviscerate Isabella’s remaining level of opportunity.

Edmonds should sustain his pass-catching presence from the backfield again this season while siphoning a double-digit target share from the wide receivers. He finished seventh at his position in targets (67/4.2 per game) from Weeks 1-17, tied for third in receiving touchdowns (4), and was also one of just six backs to eclipse 400 receiving yards.

Moore’s Outlook

Moore has been placed in a position to utilize his unquestioned talent, as he will be operating in an environment that does not contain the significant obstacles that will be encountered by several other rookies.

He will not launch his first season embedded below multiple receivers on Arizona’s depth chart. Hopkins will reside among the select group of elite receivers. But there is no sudden rise in proficiency on the horizon for Arizona’s tandem of second-round disappointments (Kirk/Isabella). KeeSean Johnson has averaged 32.5 targets, 18 receptions, and 180 yards during his first two seasons, and will not suddenly emerge as a factor in the Cardinals’ attack. Fitzgerald and Green have assembled outstanding careers. But the decline in their proficiency has been enormous.

Moore has also eluded the hurdle of functioning within an offense that lacks the potential to exploit his exceptional home-run abilities. Kingsbury will have an opportunity to maximize Moore’s capabilities by deploying him in multiple formations -including the backfield - while sending him in motion to execute his routes.

#Purdue WR Rondale Moore —

Sudden mover — with ball carrier vision. Schemed targets/touches. Get him loose in space from slot, wing, backfield alignments. #Cardinals pic.twitter.com/FpxeQJPw77

— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) May 1, 2021

Having Murray under center also ensures that Moore will not contend with shortcomings at the quarterback position. He will provide Murray with a dynamic weapon that can thrive in Kingsbury’s fast-paced attack. Arizona finished second overall in seconds per play (25.1) during 2020, and the Cardinals were also first in neutral situations (27.1) according to Football Outsiders. All of which makes Moore a viable option late in Round 1 of rookie drafts. He is also an enticing target at his Round 15 ADP during the best-ball draft process.

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