Oakland Raiders Rookie Wide Receiver Denarius Moore Is a Steal

When the Oakland Raiders selected wide receiver Denarius Moore in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft they expected to get raw talent. Instead, what the Raiders ended up with was one of the steals from this year's draft class and a player who should make an impact early.

Putting up a notable performance in the Raiders' first preseason game after dominating every day of training camp, Denarius Moore's name is officially buzzing.

Against the Arizona Cardinals, Moore caught three passes for 37 yards, returned one kick for 18 yards, and had three punt returns, one of which was for 56 yards but was called back due to penalty.

The rookie wide receiver, who has yet to miss a beat on the practice field, has been nothing short of sensational.  Moore is learning quickly and impressing both teammates and coaches.

"He's one of those guys you pick up late in the draft and wonder, 'How did this guy fall?'" quarterback Jason Campbell said. "He's so talented, so athletic." 

Along with notable catches, perfectly ran fly routes and freeing double moves, Moore highlighted training camp with a beautiful touchdown catch over tight double coverage by Stevie Brown and DeMarcus Van Dyke.  Moore's play has Raiders head coach Hue Jackson raving.

"Every day there's something. A ball goes up, he comes down with it and makes a play," Jackson said. "The game is not too big for him. There is no fear in the young man."

Coming out of the University of Tennessee, Moore had a solid but tumultuous career, dealing with three coaching changes and five different quarterbacks in his four years.  Playing in 52 games for the Vols, Moore was a contributor his entire career.  Known for making big plays, Tennessee fans recognized Moore's talents, comparing him to Saints receiver Robert Meachem, but it wasn't really until Moore's senior year that he received any attention on the draft scene.

Having always had a ton of talent, speed and vertical ability, Moore showed flashes of greatness from time to time, but it took the arrival of freshman gunslinging quarterback Tyler Bray to really allow Denarius to fully display his skills.  

Bray was the first quarterback of Moore's career who not only loved putting the ball in the air, but also had the green light to do so, and it paid off.  Moore finished his senior season with 981 yards and nine touchdowns as well as second in the nation for yards per catch.  He also was the only player in major college football last year to have two 200+ yard receiving games and ended his career as just the seventh Vols receiver to eclipse 2,000 career yards.  

Looking at the stats one may wonder how Moore was overlooked by so many teams in the draft, but the Oakland Raiders aren't complaining.