Heralded for his 600 lb squats and 4.33-second 40-yard dash, Rondale Moore is one of the most intriguing prospects to enter the 2021 NFL draft. His rare combination of shiftiness and burst allows Moore to become a game-breaking weapon that defenses and special teams get nightmares about. Injuries have been the plague of this stud athlete, but when he has been on the field, few have been as dazzling as Moore. No doubt that whichever team takes him will certainly be rolling the dice on taking either the next Tyreek Hill or the next injury-ridden bust.
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Player Bio
Name: Rondale Moore
Jersey: #4
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Purdue
Class: Junior
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 175 lbs
Hands (2.0/10)
This is a rough start for Moore’s report. This man has bricks for hands: literally bricks. Through scouting multiple wide receivers in-depth, Moore by far has the worst hands. He gets force-fed the ball a lot, which allows scouts (and with the frequency of drops/fumbles, the viewers, too) to witness the pure void of the ability to hold onto the football. Drops, bobbles, and fumbles are beyond apparent on tape, so unfortunately Moore’s first trait on this scouting report has to be a big smear on his record, and he deserves it.
Contested Catch (3.25/10)
There is very little tape on contested catches for Moore. The only instance of a contested-catch through the games watched was against Vanderbilt, where his speed as well as the defender’s inability to swat the ball allowed Moore to haul in a deep pass for a large gain. One would think a man who could squat 600 lbs could make insane highlight-reel inspiring jump-ball catches, but it does not appear to be so. Therefore, this is yet another smear on the record for the electric prospect.
Straight Line Speed (7.5/10)
This rating is a combination of tested speed and game speed. Simply put, Moore is tested at 4.33 for his 40-yard dash (which should rate as a 9.25), but he does not appear to play at that speed. His play speed is a 5.75, given how he rarely breaks away from defenders. This was obvious on his streak vs. Vanderbilt, where the corner kept stride for stride with him. Moore simply does not show his speed whatsoever in a football uniform, which may scare teams away from taking him, but the numbers do not lie.
Short Area Burst (9.25/10)
Wow, just wow. After all of these negative comments for Moore, this is where he begins to make his money. There has not been a wide receiver in the past two years that has shown the ability to make hard cuts and accelerate to max speed like Moore. As will be discussed in a later trait, just watching his ability to change direction is unbelievable, especially when he makes other highly recruited players look like high-schoolers. He certainly takes no time letting his burst be known to any defender. Just look at his squat: that should show you his burst strength.
After the Catch (9.0/10)
Moore is legendary for his after-the-catch ability. Whenever a team puts their number one receiver at punt returner, it is obvious they know how good they are in this category. Moore is a jukebox with extreme power in each and every step. His lack of play speed and fumbling issues brings the score slightly down, however, in short, watch out: Moore is a nightmare to defenders when the ball is in his hands.
Release (8.0/10)
This came as a pleasant surprise. Shaun Wade is by far no elite press corner, but he is far from a scrub. In the slot, Wade has proven to be an elite corner, and Moore (in 2018) ate his breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert each and every play. Almost every play was press, too. With his quick jab-steps, Moore accelerates and fights off press unlike anyone at his size in this draft. Given his size and lack of play speed, this is truly something that was not seen coming. In short, thank his elite burst and quick feet.
Route Running (7.5/10)
Man, oh man. Moore is too clean with his hard-cutting routes. Unlike Elijah Moore, Moore has elite (even for NFL standards) cutting ability. He leaves top defensive backs in the dust, and the Purdue offense takes note by giving him a plethora of these routes. The only reason this score is not 9.0 is due to the fact that his deep routes provide none of the lethality that his short routes (slants, ins, outs, comebacks, etc.) have.
Separation (7.5/10)
After reading the route-running and short-range burst sections, it is obvious as to why Moore can separate at an elite level. His score drops noticeably due to his lack of separation from low-end corners down the field, but that is all one can knock him for in this category.
Positional Versatility (6/10)
The score reflects a slightly above average rating, which makes sense, given Moore’s fumbling issues and lack of gameplay speed. He is used as strictly a short or medium-range weapon in the Purdue offense, which highlights this even more (no pun intended). When an offense targets a wide receiver as often as Moore, yet rarely lets him run deep, that is a huge red flag for his versatility downrange. That might wipe the Hill comparison from the sheet. That said, he is used as a running back and a punt returner on top of being a slot wide receiver, so he gets some points back.
Competitive Toughness (3/5)
Moore gives his all every time he runs a route. He puts full effort in every play until the ball does not go to him, which is rare. He tries to block when the play is right next to him, but gives five yards of separation from the play and he is standing still.
Injury (2.0/5)
Moore is extremely injury prone. He has been injured almost every year that he played, especially when he missed most of his sophomore season to a knee injury during the game vs. Minnesota. He could not start out this season due to a nagging injury as well. In short, injuries are a major red flag for the superb athlete.
Player Summary
Watch your ankles. Moore is a show-stopper with his insane athletic abilities. His shear strength combined with his quickness and shiftiness provides the perfect combination for a true gadget weapon at the next level. With all of the hype around what Moore could be, his lack of gameplay speed along with his bricks for hands and small stature combine to create a whirlwind of positives and negatives that may either intrigue or frighten any team that sees him on the draft board.
Final Grade (65/100): Mid Second Round
Player Comp: Dionte Johnson
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