What the Cardinals are getting in second-round pick Rondale Moore is a hard-working, talented wideout from the Big Ten who has afterburners to torch NFL defenses.
Although Moore is undersized in height, standing at just 5-foot-7, he more than makes up for it with his 180-pound frame.
New Cardinals WR Rondale Moore once squatted 600lbs 😳
Moore is 5' 7" and weighs around 180lbs
This is wild.
(via @BoilerFootball)pic.twitter.com/pwAAMELB6I
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 1, 2021
In his freshman year at Purdue, he had 114 catches to lead the nation. With lightning-quick speed, the wideout is expected to make an immediate impact in the receiver room with the likes of DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk.
His ability to break into the open field and cause problems for opposing defenses with the ball in his hands is what attracted General Manager Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury to the Boilermaker.
“Very similar, measurable-wise…to a guy like Tyreek Hill,” Keim said of Moore. “He is explosive enough to play outside, play inside, reverses, screens, and all of those things. You want to get the ball in his hands and let him create on the perimeter. It’s not only that. It’s punt returns, kick returns, and think he’s a guy who could help us immediately.”
Not only does he have a skillset as an undersized player, but Keim described Moore as a “football junkie” who is nothing but business and a hard-nosed attitude, and plays with a chip on his shoulder.
During his post-draft media availability, the Purdue wideout addressed his strengths and the challenges he is ready to tackle. Whether he’s lined up in his primary position in the slot or out wide, he’s ready to take the roles in stride, while learning in the Cardinals wide receiver room.
Alongside DeAndre Hopkins, Moore is going to soak it all in.
“I’m going in with the mindset of, ‘be a sponge,'” Moore said of playing alongside an All-Pro talent in Hopkins. “I’m going to pick up everything that I can and everything that he has to offer, just learning how to be a pro will be important for me and everything he’s going to tell me, I’m going to be able to listen to.”
In college, Moore did most of his damage in shallow routes and in YAC situations. However, coming in with the Cardinals, he will be expected to do more in Kingsbury’s system.
The Cardinals head coach expects the transition to be pretty seamless after watching his film and offense that Moore played in at Purdue.
With the unknown status of a Larry Fitzgerald return, Moore will surely be a welcomed addition. It’s another weapon to surround Kyler Murray with.
“I thought we were going to have great competition before this pick,” Kingsbury said of the receiver room. “You got DeAndre, you got AJ (Green), then you got some younger guys that are kind of all battling it out. This guy (Moore) jumps right into the middle of it in that group. The good thing is we believe all of them can play and start, and contribute at a high level. Competition only makes that room that much better.”