10 prospects 49ers should avoid selecting in 2021 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
841. . Wide Receiver. Rebels . Elijah Moore. 5. player
No. 5 49ers Prospect to Avoid: Wide Receiver Elijah Moore
The 49ers are going to be on the hunt for wide receiver weapons to round out their depth chart behind the assumed two starters, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. With fellow wideouts Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor poised for free agency, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see the Niners go after a receiver who’d be a prime fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
On the surface, one might assume Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore would be ideal. After all, his exceptional yards-after-the-catch abilities helped him net an impressive 1,193 receiving yards over just eight games played for the Rebels in 2020. And his 2019 numbers were good enough, too, to warrant some serious consideration.
The problem, though, is the 5-foot-9 slot-type receiver is simply projected to go too high on draft day, probably somewhere in Round 3.
A more realistic assessment of Moore, particularly considering his not-so-great route-running skills, would be a mid-to-late day-three pick as someone who could push for a backup slot-receiver job while adding something of note as a returner on special teams.
San Francisco has those needs, too. But if it was considering a player like Moore to fit the bill, it would almost make more sense to simply provide depth receiver Richie James with a bigger role on offense while hoping his own special teams prowess improves in 2021.
Save that pick on Moore for someone else.