There are multiple reasons to believe Arizona Cardinals rookie receiver Rondale Moore has what it takes to earn a trip to the Pro Bowl this season.
Arizona Cardinals rookie receiver Rondale Moore has been turning some heads during this year’s training camp, and he can become a Pro Bowl receiver as early as his rookie season, pending he stays healthy.
In fact, there is reason to believe Moore can be the 2021 version of Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson and Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, both of whom put together stellar seasons with their respective teams.
No, Moore does not possess the ideal height, standing at just 5-foot-7. However, his speed, agility, and crisp route-running have gotten him open often in Cardinals training camp, and he has delivered with some stellar catches.
Sure, they say you’re supposed to look good in shorts, especially when you’re a second-round draft pick. But Moore’s raw ability is not the only reason he will be a Pro Bowl-caliber player in 2021, again, as long as he stays healthy.
Let’s explore three reasons why the rookie receiver will dazzle in year one of what we hope is a career that will pick up right where Larry Fitzgerald left off, considering the latter has likely finished playing.
Talented teammates
Defenses will already key on Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. That’s a given. And as they continued to key on him in 2020 because of a lack of production in the pass-catching unit, his numbers stagnated along with the rest of Arizona’s offensive play-makers as the season dragged on. In fact, Larry Fitzgerald (54 catches) was the team’s second-leading receiver in terms of receptions.
This year, teams must also account for A.J. Green when they face the Cardinals. No, Green is not the player he once was. Injuries in 2018 and 2019 derailed him, and his return in 2020 did not go as planned, having logged just 47 receptions. However, Green’s a proven player in the NFL and he has a height and size advantage to win contested catches, especially if Arizona can stretch the field with him.
That leaves Moore, whose route-running skills, especially across the middle, will give him plenty of opportunities to rack up receptions and yards after the catch. Moore proved his surehandedness in college, and his ability to snag in passes from anywhere on the field.
Often, rookie receivers struggle during their transition to the NFL. But with one of the league’s best receivers lining up on one side with a big target like Green lining up on the other, Moore will find himself open often.
Arizona’s running game
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray may hesitate to run so often in 2021 after doing so wore him down in 2020. Either way, Murray is still a threat to tear defenses apart with his legs every time he drops back to throw.
However, Chase Edmonds and James Conner are two ideal complementary running backs. Edmonds is a dual-threat back who can take runs outside and he can also catch passes out of the backfield. Conner can be a bruiser if he gets past his own injury issues and he has the size to pound the rock between the tackles.
If Arizona’s running game remains solid like it was last season, it will force defenses to creep up, allowing Murray to either go over the top with DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green, or he can slide it underneath to Rondale Moore.
Once again, it gives Moore plenty of opportunities with opposing defenses not just worrying about a Pro Bowl receiver; but also about a Pro Bowl quarterback that also has the luxury of a former Pro Bowl running back (Conner) and a jack-of-all-trades (Edmonds) in the backfield.
And once again, we’re looking at a common denominator featuring proven players. The one unproven commodity? That would be Moore, at least in the early stages of the season. Because defenses must key on Hopkins and Murray at the very least, Moore is the odd man out. Giving him even more opportunities.
Moore’s dual-threat ability
Few realize that Rondale Moore is not just a surehanded receiver whose speed and route-running produced 178 receptions, 14 touchdowns, and 1,915 yards in 20 career college games. Moore can also run the football, and he highlighted his dual-threat ability early in his college career.
Moore had 21 rushing attempts for 213 yards in 2018, good for 10.1 yards per carry. He can once again highlight that ability with the Cardinals. We already touched on how dangerous Kyler Murray, James Conner, and Chase Edmonds can be. And if the Cardinals get Chris Streveler more involved in a Taysom Hill-type of role, Moore can become yet another chess piece for Arizona.
He proved in college that he’s willing to run the ball. And with non-traditional formations that stack the backfield, only for Moore to come in on an end-around or another trick play will get him that much closer to the Pro Bowl.
We mainly look at Moore as a faster version of former wideout Wes Welker, considering the latter’s height, overall size, and route-running ability. But he displays more raw talent than Welker. One of which involves his ability to make plays out of the backfield.