Could Elijah Moore return kicks and punts for the Jets?
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Second-round wide receiver Elijah Moore has already been an early standout for the Jets this offseason. He’s proven to be a versatile offensive player and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer thinks he could even contribute on kick returns.
“He has fantastic hands. He’s got everything you’re looking for with quickness and the dynamic short-area burst and everything like that,” Boyer said this week. “His tracking just needs a little cleanup, but I think he’s going to be a very, very, very good player in this league.”
Moore has a little bit of return experience from his three years at Ole Miss. He returned 12 kickoffs during his freshman season in 2018 and averaged 18.5 yards per return. Moore also returned 27 punts during his three seasons and averaged 4.9 yards per return.
He also possesses ideal speed and size in a return role. Moore’s 4.35-second 40-yard dash time ranks in the 92nd percentile and his 5-foot-9 frame is tough to take down when he’s at full speed.
This doesn’t mean Moore will be slotted into a return role, though. He should be an integral part of the offense early in his career and the Jets have more experienced return specialists in Braxton Berrios and Vyncint Smith. If anything, Moore does provide a backup option if the Jets need a returner in a pinch or don’t want to waste a roster spot on a player who only returns kicks.
Either way, Boyer said he’s excited to work with Moore this season.
“I think the kid’s got a bright future,” he added. “He’s a self-starter. He’s a worker.”
