(Photo: Fox Sports)
I still remember when D.J. Moore was in college playing for the Maryland Terrapins. In his first two years in college, he didn’t eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. His breakout year was 2017, when he put it all together and finished the season with 1,033 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, both career highs. In 2018, D.J. decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft, and the Carolina Panthers selected him with the 24th overall pick that year. During his time in Charlotte, he recorded three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, but the Panthers weren’t winning football games. In 2023, the Panthers decided to trade the first overall pick to the Chicago Bears, which would eventually become Caleb Williams, and D.J. was also part of that deal, sending him to Chicago as well. He played three seasons in Chicago and even earned a contract extension in 2024. The NFL offseason can be a wild time, and today the Bears announced they are trading the veteran receiver to the Buffalo Bills for a 2026 second-round pick.
I wouldn’t consider D.J. elite or put him in the same bracket as Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, or CeeDee Lamb (my top five currently), but he’s a serviceable receiver who shows up each week and gives 110 percent, which is all you can ask for. Since entering the NFL, he’s been a number-one receiver from his days with the Panthers and arguably during his first two years with the Bears. D.J. is six feet tall and weighs a little over 200 pounds, which makes him a balanced wide receiver. He’s strong enough for contested catches, quick enough for vertical routes, and agile enough to generate yards after the catch—which is a perfect segue because I was about to speak on that. His ability to move with the ball in his hands after the catch is what makes him special as a receiver today. He’s dangerous because he has a strong lower body and base, great contact balance to remain upright, quick acceleration, and excellent vision with the football. Teams often use him on screen passes, slants, motion touches, and jet sweeps, and he’s occasionally used out of the backfield because of his open-field ability. D.J. is also well-rounded as a route runner. He moves smoothly against press coverage, is strong on in-breaking routes, and consistently runs deep posts and crossers to get open. I won’t say he’s an elite technician like Davante Adams or Stefon Diggs, but he can consistently create NFL-level separation. As a deep threat, D.J. is underrated in this aspect of the game. He tracks the ball well, displays strong hands through contact, and has a physical catch point. I’d say he’s a cross between Deebo Samuel and Chris Godwin.
2025 was a down year for D.J., as he caught 50 passes for only 682 receiving yards and six touchdowns. This was largely because his role changed week to week, and quite frankly, the Bears offense became crowded with multiple weapons throughout the season. I think this is a win-win for both teams. The Bears can continue to build their offense around Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, while the Bills filled a void and acquired the number-one receiver they’ve desperately needed. Now Josh Allen has a new weapon at his disposal. What makes this even more of a fit is that D.J. previously played for the Bills’ new head coach, Joe Brady, during his Carolina days, and he had his best season under him. That leads me to say football is all about fit and knowing how to play under a particular coach. In my opinion, this acquisition puts the Bills back in the driver’s seat in the AFC East, though I still have questions about them in the conference as a whole.
