Oakland Raiders: Why Denarius Moore Will Be a Top-10 Receiver in 2012

Denarius Moore was an absolute steal for the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft.

He made contributions to the offense early and often, beginning with a five-catch and 142-yard explosion in his second NFL game. Look at this absolutely incredible 50-yard touchdown catch.

Did I mention it was incredible?

It may have only been Week 2, and yes, against the Buffalo Bills, but let's not go there. That was a flash of brilliance from someone who was only a rookie.

This guy has talent through the roof and has performed when the quarterback position hasn't been exactly steady (going through Jason Campbell and now Carson Palmer). But with Palmer here to stay, Moore will only get better.

The ability to make big plays is the hardest thing to do. Moore already has shown he can fulfill that requirement of being a good wide receiver.

Now he just needs to put in the work to enter the conversation of the NFL's elite. Palmer is a superb deep-ball arm, and Moore has the hands and speed to become an elite home run threat a la DeSean Jackson.

And as he learns the ins and outs of the offensive playbook, the former Tennessee wide receiver will be able to make a more significant contribution in the intermediate passing game.

While this may be asking a lot of the 23-year-old wide receiver, Moore is more than capable of outshining the majority of the 147 players drafted before him last year.

To be honest, he's capable of outshining a good majority of the NFL.

Carson Palmer said it best in an interview with Adam Schein and Rich Gannon on Sirius/XM Radio: He's a big-time receiver in the making.

 

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