Robert Saleh calls Elijah Moore an old soul

Robert Saleh believes rookie Elijah Moore is an old soul. As the head coach and wide receiver each go through their first training camp with the New York Jets, Saleh believes Moore is already ahead of the curve.

“I was telling someone this morning, he’s an old soul,” Saleh said of Moore, via Jets.com. “He’s already ahead of the game in regards to how he studies, takes care of his body, the way he approaches practice, the way he approaches each rep. He’s impressive in the sense that we feel very confident that he’s going to find ways to get better. This game is very important to him and he shows it with his actions every day.”

Moore was drafted by the Jets out of Ole Miss in the second round of this year’s draft, the 34th overall selection. The team was elated when Moore was available for their pick, as he joins a revamped wide receiver unit that features Corey Davis, Jamison Crowder and Denzel Mims as well.

Saleh also mentions that the receivers have been battling hard with the defensive backs. However, Moore got the best of the team’s secondary, creating separation on his way to a touchdown in a recent practice.

“The receivers are working like heck to create separation and they’ve had some,” Saleh said. “You saw Elijah in the end zone, created a lot of separation to free himself for a touchdown.”

The Jets drafted Moore to be the dynamic playmaker he was at Ole Miss. So far, so good.

Moore will give the Jets offense life

In a word, the Jets offense was dreadful in 2020. The unit averaged a measly 15.2 points per game, easily the worst mark in the entire league.

This offseason, Saleh and Jets general manager Joe Douglas worked to give it a facelift. They kept the few pieces with promise, and changed what wasn’t working.

The biggest move the team made was drafting Zach Wilson out of BYU with the second overall selection in this year’s NFL Draft. Afterwards, they sured up his protection by trading up to draft offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker out of USC.

Finally, the Jets used their third straight pick of the draft on the offensive side of the ball, when they drafted Moore out of Oxford. Many predicted Moore could’ve been drafted in the first round, so the Jets didn’t waste a second in turning in his draft card.

‘The young man is very smart.’

Saleh stated that the Jets won’t box Moore in, instead just finding ways to get him on the field. The Jets head coach believes Moore can handle it, due to his impressive intelligence. 

“He’s got the ability to play outside, inside, gadget, whatever you want to do. The reason why he’s able to do that is because of his mental capacity, the young man is very smart,” Saleh said. “Like I said, it’s very important to him so he’s constantly studying. He knows all three positions at the receiver spot. And because of it and his ability to move around, he’s gonna have a bright future.”

As Saleh attempts to rebuild the Jets, Moore and his old soul are key cogs in the machine.

Image courtesy of Adam Hunger / Stringer via Getty Images