It’s been a long while since the New York Jets have had a talent similar to Elijah Moore within the confines of their Florham Park, New York, facility. Too long, in fact, as the Jets haven’t had a pass-catching talent reach a Pro Bowl in nearly 20 seasons. Moore, the former Ole Miss standout and 2021 second-round selection, is hoping to change the ongoing narrative of an inherent lack of talent out wide for New York and quickly.

“I’m here for a reason,” Moore said during OTAs, via ESPN. Multiple reasons, at that.

Moore arrives in New York with an eye for flash and a deep, driving hunger for success; he’s looked upon by many as one of the most exponential risers in what was an extremely deep wide receiver class. He undoubtedly will now be tasked with adding a jolt of talent for a completely refurbished Jets offense following three years in Oxford, Mississippi.

“He can line up wherever you want, and he’s going to execute at a very high level,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said. “He's showcasing his ability to be as versatile as possible in terms of being at different parts of the field, being at different positions, understanding what needs to get done, so when the ball gets to his hands he can still do what he does best."

While Moore’s future success will come via his presence on the boundary, working both in the slot and flexed out wide, his versatility on special teams is what has set him apart from the other pass-catching talents through offseason workouts. Moore’s collegiate career totaled 2,441 yards, 189 receptions, and 16 touchdowns; it was nothing to slouch at within an ever-competitive SEC, but it’s the 5-foot-9 in Moore’s electricity as a return man where the Jets believe they conducted high-way robbery by grabbing him with the 34th-overall selection.

“He has fantastic hands. He’s got everything you’re looking for with quickness and the dynamic short-area burst,” Jets special teams coordinator Zach Boyer said.

But, it goes without question that a team’s potential top target returning punts wouldn’t exactly be the best plan of action for a team in dire need of production and longevity on the outside. Alongside Moore is the prized free-agent acquisition of Corey Davis, second-year man Denzel Mims, and a newly restructured Jamison Crowder. For Zach Wilson, the Jets’ new face of the franchise and 2021 second-overall selection, things could certainly be worse for a team expected by many to end up near the top of the draft again come 2022.

While Davis, Mims, and Crowder, are all expected to get theirs from the arm-arrogant Wilson, it’s hard to ignore the potential relationship between Moore and the former BYU gun-slinger if all comes to fruition. The dynamic tools of Moore and the creativity of Wilson could be a match made in heaven from a foundational standpoint as Saleh hopes to accelerate his rebuild.

Moore has consistently flashed from session to session, showcasing his burst, hands, and fluidity in his route stems, according to multiple reports out of Jets camp. When projecting his overall production and role within a crowded room for targets, it becomes increasingly difficult to pin as Moore’s success comes via direct correlation of Wilson’s adaptation to offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur’s West-Coast hybrid offense.

However, if it were my guess, don’t expect an extended grace period.

With above-average short-range quickness, powerful hands, and elite versatility to boot, the Jets found themselves a keeper in Moore. For a team on the up and up under the exuberant Saleh, Moore will have every chance to prove in his rookie campaign he indeed is a Jet “for a reason.”