2021 NFL Draft: Purdue WR Rondale Moore shines in season debut
Rondale Moore reminded us why he is a top-tier 2021 NFL Draft prospect on Friday night.
It has been a strange journey back to the field for Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore. He missed most of last season with hamstring and knee injuries and opted out of the 2020 season early in the pandemic, deciding to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. However, when the Big Ten announced that they were going to play in the fall, Moore returned to Purdue and we expected to see him throughout the 2020 season.
That being said, Moore did not play in the first three games of Purdue’s season and we really do not know why. He did, however, return to the field on Friday night against Minnesota and immediately showed us why he is one of the top offensive playmakers in the 2021 NFL Draft class.
Moore finished the game with 15 receptions for 116 yards. He also carried the ball three times for 20 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown run in the first quarter (which you can see below).
https://twitter.com/ESPNCFB/status/1329963376894590978
Simply put, Moore was absolutely fantastic on Friday night, showing off his incredible natural playmaking ability with the ball in his hands. He is an extremely quick and elusive player who is incredibly difficult to bring down in the open field. Moore has explosive speed and ridiculous short-area quickness that makes him an ideal fit for the modern NFL.
While Moore has mostly been a short-yardage receiver who makes most of his plays near the line of scrimmage in college, his game-breaking speed should make him more of a deep threat at the next level. Right now, it is fair to look at him as a gadget player who gets many of his touches schemed, but I genuinely think that there is more to his game. Purdue has just not completely unleashed the talent of Rondale Moore.
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Moore is an interesting player in the 2021 NFL Draft class. The wide receiver position is absolutely loaded this year, but Moore stands out as one of the most physically gifted players at the position. On Friday night, he reminded us how talented that he is and we should only expect that to continue as his season unfolds.