Washington Redskins meet with Maryland WR D.J. Moore at Combine

The Washington Redskins have reportedly conducted an informal meeting with Maryland wide receiver D.J. Moore at the NFL Combine.

The Washington Redskins have a number of young receivers who have the opportunity to develop over the summer, but nevertheless, they’ll still be in the market for quality receivers when the 2018 NFL Draft hits.

The Redskins aren’t wasting time, doing their homework with diligence. They’ve reportedly met with former Maryland Terrapins wide receiver D.J. Moore.

D.J. Moore has an early Round 2 grade, but at the moment, he is a fringe first-round prospect, and with a strong combine workout tomorrow, he could vault up as high as the middle first-round. Moore may be a wide receiver, but once he has the ball in his hands, he has a running back’s ability to stay on his feet, muscle through defenders, and make them miss as well. I said the following of him in a draft article written earlier this year:

"Even in contested coverage, Moore is effective. He has innate awareness, tracking the location of the ball through the air with precision, and using his hand eye coordination to his benefit. Even when blanketed, Moore finds a way to use his hands and come up with the football. Among other things, Moore had a penchant for catching the edge-of-the-endzone passes in college. His awareness stems from his hands to his feet, and he always seems to know what to do.You might already be chomping at the bit to draft Moore, but wait… there’s more. He’s also very effective when utilized in a bubble screen, which the Redskins use quite frequently. He has a thick base, easily shedding off tacklers, but at the same time, he’s impossibly shifty, and his vision is excellent. Moore is essentially a running back at the wide receiver position when it comes to screens. He is a superb talent."

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Since the start of the scouting process, D.J. Moore’s draft stock has rising steadily. He presents teams with a pro-ready prospect who has a number of key traits that translate well to the National Football League. He has the production to pair with those skills. In 2017, he nabbed 80 receptions for over one thousand yards and eight touchdowns, despite playing with no proven quarterbacks and a subpar surrounding cast.

Before, it might have seemed as if Moore would last until the Washington Redskins’ second-round pick. But he only keeps rising up the boards. He measured in at 6-foot-0, 210 in measurements at the combine today, passing the size test. If he does well in field drills tomorrow, then he could solidify himself as a mid-to-late first-round pick.

The Washington Redskins may find it hard to trade down to grab Moore, as other teams behind them are likely interested in the wide receiver, notably the Panthers, Cowboys, and his hometown team, the Baltimore Ravens.

Using the No. 13 pick on D.J. Moore, at least right now, might seem like a reach. But his stock is only rising. There is a very real chance that the Baltimore Ravens will pick him at No. 16 if he slips. If the Washington Redskins value their need at receiver more than other positions, and if they realize that quality defensive linemen are available in Round 2, due to this draft’s heavy class, then picking Moore at No. 13 would be far from a travesty. It would supply Alex Smith with a  do-it-all weapon, and it would make Jay Gruden’s screen game far, far more dangerous.

Next: 3 offensive linemen to watch at the NFL Combine

For now, it’s just building hype. But the excitement could become real on draft night. Be sure to keep watching the NFL Combine and see all the latest developments, and stay with us here at Riggo’s Rag, as we’ll keep you in the loop.