Oct 2, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) reacts after a catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Ex-Jets castoff Elijah Moore 'living here' trying to find place in Bills' offense

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Ralph Ventre | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 4:02 PM ET

The pre-draft résumé is rather quite impressive for the Buffalo Bills' recent free-agent addition.

Wide receiver Elijah Moore led all NCAA Division I FBS players in receptions (10.8) and receiving yards (149.1) per game for the 2020 Ole Miss Rebels. He further validated his collegiate production by running a fast 4.35-second 40-yard dash during Pro Day testing.

As the New York Jets made Moore the second pick in Round 2 at the 2021 NFL Draft, Bills' offensive coordinator Joe Brady was well aware of the prospect, primarily due to their shared South Floridian beginnings. Brady, who was with the Carolina Panthers at the time, subsequently landed in Buffalo as the quarterbacks coach in 2022.

"We're from the same area, so I've been following him, I feel like, his whole career," said Brady as the Bills wrapped up OTAs during the first week of June. "And it's been really cool of just seeing his approach his demeanor, a guy that doesn't speak much, but just kind of works.”

While Moore continues to work towards establishing himself at the NFL level, he didn't exactly fulfill his draft potential during his first two NFL stops, although the latter leg represents a noticeable improvement over his first two seasons with the New York Jets.

After 27 appearances, the Jets traded the second-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in 2023. He did not miss a game in two seasons with the Browns, totaling 1,178 receiving yards on 120 receptions. While his production was average for a WR3, he didn't exactly have the benefit of an MVP quarterback like Josh Allen.

"I work my ass off every single season. I just know that I'm the type of player that's going to show it. I just got to get in the right system," said Moore during an OTAs media availability.

There's likely no better system for a young wide receiver than one with Allen at the controls. The quarterback's ability coupled with Brady's "everybody eats philosophy" may be able to unlock Moore's potential. Following June minicamp, multiple signs point to Moore eventually winning the WR5 spot with Brady subsequently deploying the speedy weapon across multiple roles.

"You get a guy like Elijah, I feel like he's living here, wanting to just kind of embody it, play inside, play outside, figure out, hey, what can he do, what is Josh thinking on these plays?" said Brady.

Meanwhile, veteran Curtis Samuel, who also features a versatile skill set, suggested that Moore is fitting in quite nicely.

"He can ball," said Samuel in a post-practice interview shared by WGR 550 AM. "Always good when you can add that to the room, you can add playmakers to this offense.”