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The 2022 NFL Draft brought us the most highly touted wide receiver class in recent memory, yet one of the selections that generated the most excitement in fantasy circles came in Round 2. Western Michigan standout Skyy Moore was selected with the 54th overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs. He joins free-agent additions JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to help replace the massive hole left by the trade of superstar Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. As the 13th wide receiver selected, behind some surprising names including Wan'Dale Robinson to the New York Giants, John Metchie III to Houston, and Tyquan Thornton to New England, Moore went off the board later than most mocks had projected.
Austin Gayle of PFF gave Moore some high praise in the weeks preceding the draft…
MY GUY Skyy Moore LFG pic.twitter.com/8xeVWt3iTK
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It’s possible Moore was a bit overlooked leading up to the draft. This may have been the result of a less established resumé at a smaller school. We can take a closer look at his college production to better gauge his value.
Skyy Moore College Production
Moore broke out at Western Michigan in his junior year after not seeing much action early in his collegiate career. He had an unconventional path, labeled as only a three-star recruit by 247Sports with the expectation of playing cornerback while also having experience as a quarterback. The uncertainty around his position is partly what caused him to get passed on by Power 5 schools coming out of high school.
Moore pivoted to wide receiver only after arriving at Western Michigan and lead the team in receiving yards as a true freshman, earning him first-team All-MAC honors. As a sophomore, the pandemic limited him to only five games, though he would have been on pace to top 1,000 yards over a full season. This would have given him a breakout at the age of 20, likely giving him more notoriety on the national scene and moving him higher up draft boards.
Moore’s junior year was his only real opportunity for top-tier production and he took full advantage of it, averaging over 100 receiving yards per game and notching 10 touchdowns.
Notably in his stellar junior season, Moore dominated in terms of his share of Western Michigan’s total receiving production. He accounted for 44% of the team's receptions, 42% of the team’s receiving yards, and 47% of the team’s receiving touchdowns. This is elite production that can only be achieved by a combination of short, medium, and deep route efficiency. Even more impressive with his comprehensive route tree is that he only logged four dropped passes on 125 total targets. Moore was about as sure-handed as it comes for a rookie wide receiver.
Skyy Moore Rookie Outlook
Coming out of the combine, Moore was seen as a fringe Round 1 selection, with a high likelihood of getting squeezed into Day 2 due to the tremendous depth of the wide receiver class. He measured at 5’10 and 195 pounds, but perhaps more importantly as a wide receiver he came in with 31” arms and enormous 10 ¼” hands. Among wide receivers, Moore finished in the top-10 in the 40-yard dash, the 3-cone drill, and the 20-yard shuttle drill. He was one of only three receivers to do so along with Alec Pierce of Cincinnati (pick No. 53 to Indianapolis) and Calvin Austin III of Memphis (pick No. 138 to Pittsburgh).
Landing in Kansas City was one of the most attention-grabbing selections of the second round, pairing him with quarterback Patrick Mahomes to fully utilize his skill set. Moore is an extremely versatile receiver with excellent hands. He is adept at finding open space at all three levels of the field. This complements Mahomes quite well as a passer who can reach every blade of grass on any given play.
Perhaps Moore’s greatest strengths are his athleticism and route running. His past pedigree as a cornerback also shines through in his change-of-direction skills. Combining those skills with his elusiveness in the open field and his sure hands (only seven drops in his entire college career) makes him one of the most polished receivers in a loaded class, even if he lacks the dominating frame to out-muscle opposing defensive backs.
If there is an area that scouts would have liked to see more of it would be in his contribution to the run game. He simply wasn’t asked to add much from a blocking standpoint, and the fact that he is a bit undersized could make that an ongoing concern in the NFL. Fortunately for Moore, he landed in one of the most pass-happy offenses in the league.
Kansas City still has a somewhat crowded depth chart in the near term. It may initially appear viable for Moore to quickly climb the pecking order above Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling, but those are veterans who were brought on to contribute immediately. As Moore profiles to have heavy slot usage, gaining a substantial snap share may be especially difficult in the early part of the season. Add in the fact that wide receiver Mecole Hardman remains on the team as the aerial weapon most familiar with Mahomes and the offense, and Moore will likely have to prove his worth on limited snaps as a rookie.
More on the situation WR Skyy Moore is walking into with the #chiefs. He’s not being asked to be THE guy or to replace Tyreek Hill. He’s in a position to learn, grow, not have the pressure of the offense on his shoulders, and at the same time be a big part of the offense. pic.twitter.com/lteufo3WY7
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) May 6, 2022
Moore profiles best against zone coverage due to his size and route running, which makes for a good fit with the Chiefs utilizing the entire field. The biggest question marks for his adjustment to the NFL are whether his size limits him to a slot role and whether his second-tier collegiate competition has prepared him for NFL defenses.
Skyy Moore Fantasy Football Outlook
Moore could be very relevant down the stretch in 2022, potentially impacting the fantasy playoffs, but he is more of a deep league option or a mid-season waiver acquisition. Since the draft concluded at the end of April, aggregate NFFC ADP data shows him being taken at pick No. 104 overall as the WR42. This is one spot ahead of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool. It ranks him as the third rookie wide receiver behind only Drake London in Atlanta (WR36) and Treylon Burks in Tennessee (WR37). It also places him as the second-highest drafted wide receiver on the Chiefs, behind only Smith-Schuster (WR29). This is a bit high for 2022 considering it is ahead of fellow rookies Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets and Chris Olave of New Orleans, both of whom are safer bets to start Week 1.
Moore remains a tremendous upside dynasty asset. While his opportunity may not be as immediate as others, the only rookie wide receivers he is clearly behind in dynasty are London, Wilson, Jameson Williams in Detroit, Burks, and Olave. It becomes more of a conversation when evaluating Moore against Jahan Dotson in Washington, Christian Watson in Green Bay, and George Pickens in Pittsburgh, but the appeal of having several years with Mahomes makes Moore tough to pass on in that tier.
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