Browns Fits in 2021 NFL Draft: Rondale Moore, WR Purdue

One of the more unique prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft is Rondale Moore, who has everything players want in a prospect, but is just 5'7" tall. The Cleveland Browns could be interested.

Pete Smith | Apr 13, 2021

With the 2021 NFL Draft approaching, the Cleveland Browns will have their own tastes and board based on what they are trying to do in every phase of the game. Based on what is known about what they want to do, some prospects stand out as fits including Rondale Moore, the diminutive speedster out of Purdue.

Age: 20 (Born June 9th, 2000)

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 181 pounds (Pro Day)

Arm Length: 28 1/4"

40-Yard Dash: 4.32

Vertical: 42.5"

Broad Jump: 10'6"

Shuttle: 4.1

3-Cone: 6.68

Bench Press: DNP

Moore's profile is spectacular for his size. Speed, explosion, agility and he's extremely young. He has everything a team could want.

The bigger question may be about injuries. Moore suffered a severe hamstring injury in 2019 that ended his season. He was also out the first three games of the 2020 season, so he hasn't played a full season since his freshman year.

Production: 114 receptions, 1,258 yards (31.7 percent), 12 TDs in 2018

Rondale Moore is a wildcard. Completely dominant as a true freshman, his sophomore and junior seasons were both bridged by injuries and he wasn't able to showcase his ability in the same way.

Moore is electric with the ball in his hands and is always a threat to score. Every time he has the ball, the defense collectively takes a deep breath as they try to tackle him or he will score.

Manufactured touches are a big part of his production as it's easy to simply hand him the ball or throw a smoke screen to him and let him create after the catch. He has shown the ability to go deep and work the intermediate part of the field. When he's hit in rhythm, he doesn't really break stride.

Moore may be small, but he's strong and difficult to bring down. He is tremendous balance and an explosive first step. Between the natural leverage he has and his own elusiveness and vision, he's not easy to get down on the ground.

Projecting him to the NFL, he can certainly operate from the slot or the boundary. But he could be a tremendous joker for teams who believe in that type of position, which appears to include the Cleveland Browns.

Kevin Stefanski was hired from the Minnesota Vikings, where the team utilized Cordarrelle Patterson in such a role, because they heavily relied on double tight end sets and therefore did not need a traditional receiver as their third option.

The occasional handoff and smoke screen to allow Moore to make plays after the catch. The hope is that the weaponry elsewhere draws attention away to create space and opportunities to generate easy yardage, possibly explosive plays.

For the Browns, Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, David Njoku, Austin Hooper and Nick Chubb are some of the players who can draw attention away from a player like Moore. And whether it's a quick screen or having him run deep down the field, it can create some instant offense.

Some teams are scared away from players like Moore because he lacks size and has a small catch radius. For some quarterbacks, it can be difficult to hit a small target, especially if the defense is covering them.

The Browns were at least willing to toy with the idea of Jojo Natson in the offense last year and Natson is even smaller than Moore. Moore won't be for everybody, but increasingly with how spaced the NFL is and how teams are able to manipulate defenses, a player like Moore could shine and the Browns are the type of team who may be particularly interested as a result.

It can be difficult for defenses to match up against a guy like Moore because of his combination of raw speed as well as his agility. Some taller corners hate dealing with guys like Moore.

Moore also has experience returning punts, which the Browns could use. Moore hasn't enjoyed a ton of success with it to this point, but it's nevertheless something else he can do.

Where the Browns Might Select Him: It seems like Moore should go in round 2 somewhere, but because of his unique size, he may fall a little bit and the Browns might be all too thrilled to get a player like him at the 59th pick in the NFL Draft.

Published Apr 13, 2021

PETE SMITH