Who Is Skyy Moore?
by Samantha Previte, fantasy football analyst for Action
Skyy Moore slipped considerably in the 2022 NFL Draft to No. 54 overall as the 13th wide receiver off the board. The 21-year-old had a draft position over/under of 35.5 (-145/+110), suggesting that many thought he was right on the first-round bubble.
All of that said, the Western Michigan product may have fallen into the single-best situation of all the first- or second-round receivers taken in this draft, from a fantasy football perspective.
Moore’s positives include above-average athleticism, solid production at the collegiate level, and good route-running. He clocked a 4.41-second 40-yard-dash and a 34.5-inch vertical jump at the NFL Combine. Moore is coming off his best season for the Broncos in which he caught 95 passes for 1,292 yards and 10 touchdowns over 12 games. He lines up outside and inside the slot and has been regarded as having a high football IQ, which Randy alludes to later on.
Moore loses marks due to his height and limited route tree. At the combine, he measured less than 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, which raises concerns about his ability to stack up against NFL secondaries and overall longevity (I will note that his 10.25-inch hands are quite impressive at his size).
Although Moore has been touted as a good runner of the routes he has been asked to run, he played in a RPO-heavy system at Western Michigan, which may not translate ideally to the NFL.
Skyy Moore Fantasy Football Outlook
by Samantha Previte, fantasy football analyst for Action
Landing Spot Grade: A+
One could argue that Moore’s landing spot is as good as – or better than – Green Bay vis-à-vis Christian Watson.
Moore's upside is primarily due to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has earned first-team All-Pro, Super Bowl MVP, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, NFL Most Valuable Player and four Pro Bowl honors in four seasons as the Chiefs starter. Mahomes offers astronomical upside to his pass-catchers for fantasy and is under contract until 2031, further edifying Moore’s potential long-term value.
The availability of targets boosts Moore’s value even more.
This offseason, the Chiefs dealt star wideout Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins for a slew of picks, including a 2022 first-round selection. Hill, 28, posted his fourth 1,000-receiving yard season in the last five years in 2021 in which he tallied a career-high 111 catches for 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns. Hill’s attrition frees up a significant chunk of targets, which will likely be spread out between JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling — both of whom signed with the Chiefs during free agency — as well as Mecole Hardman and Moore.
Smith-Schuster, 25, is coming off an injury-shortened season in which he appeared in just five games due to a shoulder injury. The 24-year-old Hardman and 27-year-old Valdes-Scantling are high-upside, explosive players, but have never offered much consistency for fantasy.
Tight end Travis Kelce, 32, will be the team’s clear No. 1 option with Hill gone, but suffice it to say that the No. 2/3/4 slots are very much up for grabs.
2022 Fantasy Potential: WR2/3 Upside
Moore was a fringe-first-round pick who the Chiefs nabbed for a huge discount late in the second round. He brings massive upside catching passes from Mahomes and with Hill off the depth chart.
Moore will likely need some time to develop, but he has the ability to make an impact almost immediately and long-term in this highly favorable situation.
Skyy Moore Pre-Draft Evaluation
by Randy Mueller, former NFL general manager and team executive
Moore’s instincts and feel for the game are what jumped out to me on tape. He is not big (5-foot-10 and 195 pounds), but he plays smart and with toughness that allows him to not be afraid of contact or going inside to make catches in traffic. He gets pin-balled a lot, though, so I worry about his durability due to that lack of ideal size.
On the other hand, his ball skills are excellent, he tracks balls consistently with focus and I have no doubt he will quickly become a trusted option in the NFL, especially on third downs. His pad level at the top of his stems/routes along with balance and burst out of cuts give him the ability to separate from man coverage, including press technique at the line of scrimmage. He makes defenders miss with his evasive run after catch, and because of this, might have just what a team needs as a punt returner who can break an arm tackle and consistently get 10 yards a return.
It's clear even on tape that his passion for the game is high and his football IQ will be a positive. I like him as a role player and a possible punt/kick returner make him a possible early Round 3 option.
