D.J. Moore sees your tweets.
Whenever the Maryland receiver gets on Twitter these days, he tends to find Ravens fans in his mentions. The Ravens are in the market for wide receivers this offseason, and Baltimore fans have made Moore well aware of their desire for him stick around Maryland.
"That is a dream because most of the fans that tweet at me are Baltimore fans," Moore said at the NFL Scouting Combine when asked about the possibility of playing for the Ravens. "That would be a sight to see."
Moore is buzzing right now after a stellar performance at the Combine, where he particularly turned heads by running the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds, the fifth-fastest time among receivers. The six-foot, 210-pound receiver showed raw athleticism in his workout to pair with impressive game tape, and some analysts believe he may be the top receiver in this year's class.
He had one of the best overall Combine workouts, and finished in the top-five of all receivers in five of the on-field drills:
40-yard dash:4.42 seconds (5th among wide receivers)
Bench press: 15 reps (t-13th)
Vertical jump: 39.5 inches (2nd)
Broad jump: 132.0 inches (1st)
Three-cone drill: 6.95 seconds (t-16th)
20-yard shuttle: 4.07 seconds (3rd)
60-yard shuttle: 11.18 seconds (3rd)
The performance cemented Moore's status as a player deserving of getting picked on the first two days, and he could even find himself getting selected in the first round. The Ravens may not be able to wait until their No. 52 overall pick if they want to take him.
It's a far cry from where Moore was three months ago, when the NFL's advisory committee encouraged him to stay in school because it believed he might not get drafted. Moore and his coaches had a different opinion about his draft status, and that initial assessment has provided him a little extra motivation
"From the league, I got the 'go back to school' grade, but just talking to everybody on the coaching staff and my family, they just thought it was time for me to move on and pursue my career," he said. "I just want to prove them wrong now."
Moore's recent ascension shouldn't necessarily come as a big surprise considering his college production. He was the Big 10's receiver of the year last season after catching a school-record 80 passes for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns. Making those numbers even more impressive is that Maryland went through a rotation of quarterbacks and he caught passes from four players throughout the season.
Moore is tough to bring down once he gets the ball in his hands, and he stressed his versatility throughout his press conference. He pointed to the kind of impact Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry has made for the Dolphins.
"They used Jarvis Landry on the Dolphins with the screen game. I was like, 'Wow. That's how I'm going to fit in,'" he said.
The Ravens haven't needed to travel far to keep an eye on Moore. He's played his college ball just down the road in College Park, and Maryland Head Coach D.J. Durkin also has a good relationship with members of the Ravens organization.
"I know [Durkin] well over the years of scouting, and he says absolutely fantastic things about [Moore]," Ravens Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz said. "As good of a player he is, he's an even better person."
The Ravens are familiar with receivers from Maryland. They selected Torrey Smith in the second round of the 2011 draft, and he turned out to be the most productive receiver Baltimore has ever drafted. Moore has actually leaned on Smith and fellow former Terps receiver Stefon Diggs for advice during the pre-draft process.
"They said enjoy the process and just continue doing what I'm doing, working hard," Moore said. "In the NFL, there's going to be something you have to do every day."
