The NY Jets have misused Elijah Moore in the first 3 games

The NY Jets believed they had drafted one of the most dynamic playmakers in the 2021 NFL Draft class this past spring when they added former Ole Miss standout, Elijah Moore.

Moore, in many ways, was the talk of the offseason with the young wideout dominating in training camp. Even with rookie second overall pick Zach Wilson in camp, it was Moore who garnered the majority of headlines.

Hopes were high that Moore would pick up where he left off once the regular season started, even in spite of a quad injury that sidelined him for the entire preseason.

To this point, however, Moore has failed to make the impact many were expecting. And a large part of that is due to the way the Jets have used him.

The NY Jets have not maximized Elijah Moore through three weeks

Moore thrived at Ole Miss as a do-it-all playmaker who was used in just about every conceivable way in that offense. He lined up out wide, in the slot, and even in the backfield.

The assumption when he was drafted was that Moore would primarily be a slot receiver with the Jets, but that hasn't been the case at all.

Even with Jamison Crowder our, Moore has been used almost exclusively out wide with the Jets opting to stick Braxton Berrios in the slot on most downs.

Rather than take advantage of Moore's versatile skill set, they've pigeonholed him into one defined role. Evidently, it hasn't worked.

Moore has just eight catches for 66 yards through three weeks. There have been a few missed plays such as his drop in Week 1, but for the most part, Moore has been relatively an afterthought.

Moore has lined up just 36 times in the slot through three weeks as compared to his 103 snaps out wide, per Pro Football Focus. Compare that to Berrios whose 100 slot snaps are far and away the most on the team.

Berrios is a fine player who has been productive for the Jets this season, but he's likely not someone who should be playing nearly 80 percent of snaps in a game as he did this past week.

The Jets need to use their best players. And they need to find ways to get them all on the field at once. Berrios is fine, but he doesn't need to be hogging almost all of the slot snaps.

Moore was at his best in the slot at Ole Miss. Give your dynamic young receiver more advantageous matchups by having him work against slot corners and safeties.

Moore stands at 5-foot-10, 178 pounds. He can play outside and did plenty at Ole Miss. But there's a reason he thrived as much as he did in the slot. Bigger, physical cornerbacks typically got the better of him at the line of scrimmage.

The Ole Miss offense was nothing special, but even they figured out ways to get Moore involved by putting him in advantageous situations. The Jets have failed to do that to this point.

Instead, they've given 100 slot snaps to Berrios. They've given nearly as many slot snaps to Tyler Kroft and Ryan Griffin as they have Moore. Heck, even someone like Keelan Cole has plenty of experience playing in the slot and should be used there.

The Kyle Shanahan system is at its best with versatile receivers who can play all over on offense. The Jets continue to stress that the reason Denzel Mims can't get on the field is because he can't play all three wide receiver spots.

Given the way they've run their offense through three weeks, it's hard to see why that would be an issue.

Moore could miss this week's game after suffering a concussion in Week 3. Meanwhile, Crowder could return in the near future as he continues to work his way back from a groin injury.

But even still, the Jets need to find ways to get Moore more involved. Put him in the slot against smaller cornerbacks. Use him out the backfield. Find ways to get him the ball.

There's no excuse for the way offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and the Jets have used their wide receivers to this point.

Elijah Moore's misuse is simply the most glaring example.