Browns WR emerging as favorite target for QB Deshaun Watson

It sounds like Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore could emerge as a favorite target for quarterback Deshaun Watson this fall. 

"He has exceptional ball skills and very strong hands, so as well as Deshaun throws the ball and as well as Deshaun throws the ball down the field, Elijah's able to track the ball at all levels of the offense," Browns wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea said about Moore, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. "He can track the ball in that short area and take a ball and catch and run. He can get behind the defense and track the deep ball very well and especially at his size, being a smaller receiver, he really plays big in my opinion and he's got exceptional ball skills. So it fits really well with our quarterback." 

Moore, listed at 5-foot-10 and 178 pounds, joined the Browns via a trade from the New York Jets in March. He made it known that same month he felt "grateful" to be playing alongside "a legit quarterback" after the 23-year-old struggled to produce positive results while part of a New York offense that featured signal-callers such as Zach Wilson, Mike White, Joe Flacco and Chris Streveler. The Jets held onto Moore through the end of the 2022 campaign despite a trade request he submitted in October, and he ended the season with just 37 catches for 446 yards and a single touchdown.

Moore explained in May that it "feels good to be wanted" in Cleveland, and Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt seems to have big plans for the 2021 second-round draft pick. 

"He has great flexibility, inside and outside flexibility," Van Pelt said about Moore. "He can run individual routes outside and win out there. He can come into the slot and has the twitch to win in the slot as well. He has excellent hands and a good feel for the game. So really a complete receiver that can play both inside and out." 

Watson added that he likes that Moore is "another guy that wants to prove a lot of people wrong" during the upcoming season as Watson looks to put his disappointing first campaign with the Browns behind him. The two becoming fast friends could go a long way toward Cleveland returning to the playoffs for the first time since January 2021.