Madden NFL 12 Player Ratings - Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers

It’s conceivable that rookie WR Denarius Moore will begin the season as a starter.

Coach Hue Jackson says he is going to base starting jobs and playing time on how his players perform in practice and games. So far, no one has played as well as Moore in practice and Oakland’s first game.

Moore is adept at adjusting to the flight of the ball, getting position on the defender and making a play. He plays with the ease and grace of a veteran. He also has shown that he can be a dynamic punt returner.

So, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the fifth-rounder out of Tennessee returning punts and starting, or at least getting significant playing time, in Oakland’s regular-season opener.

Notes:The Raiders are working out numerous players in an attempt to find another gunner on punt coverage in light of the dislocated hip suffered by veteran Hiram Eugene. Veteran WR Chad Jackson is one of the leading candidates. Replacing Eugene won’t be easy, given his experience in that role and Oakland’s scheme.

When the Oakland Raiders selected wide receiver Denarius Moore in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft they expected to get raw talent. Instead, what the Raiders ended up with was one of the steals from this year's draft class and a player who should make an impact early.

Putting up a notable performance in the Raiders' first preseason game after dominating every day of training camp, Denarius Moore's name is officially buzzing.

Against the Arizona Cardinals, Moore caught three passes for 37 yards, returned one kick for 18 yards, and had three punt returns, one of which was for 56 yards but was called back due to penalty.

The rookie wide receiver, who has yet to miss a beat on the practice field, has been nothing short of sensational. Moore is learning quickly and impressing both teammates and coaches.

"He's one of those guys you pick up late in the draft and wonder, 'How did this guy fall?'" quarterback Jason Campbell said. "He's so talented, so athletic."

Along with notable catches, perfectly ran fly routes and freeing double moves, Moore highlighted training camp with a beautiful touchdown catch over tight double coverage by Stevie Brown and DeMarcus Van ****. Moore's play has Raiders head coach Hue Jackson raving.

"Every day there's something. A ball goes up, he comes down with it and makes a play," Jackson said. "The game is not too big for him. There is no fear in the young man."

Raiders coach Hue Jackson says time and again that, “It’s all about performance.” Rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore is on the verge of putting that idiom to the test.

Every day, Moore not only is the best wide receiver on the field, oftentimes he is the best player, period. It has reached the point where this isn’t some one-week wonder, flash in the pan or fluke. The man can flat out play.

That’s what Jackson says he is looking for, playmakers. No one personifies that more than Moore, a fifth-round draft pick out of Tennessee.

On Sunday, Moore was at it again. Not once, or twice, but three times he had fans and teammates oohing and aahing over his ability to get open, adjust to the ball flight, get position on the defender and make a play on the ball.

The first time, Moore slowed up, outleaped rookie cornerback Sterling Moore and snared the ball at the highest point as people gasped. Moore came down with the ball, but it came out as he hit the ground. The play likely would have been ruled an incompletion, but it’s worth pointing out because few other receivers would have done the things necessary to make it close to a reception.

A bit later, Moore worked the left sideline, positioned himself just inbouns and made an outstretched catch of a dart in front of the defender.

On the third play, Moore beat cornerback Jeremy Ware with a double-move, with Moore continuing toward the end zone as Ware slipped to the ground. Safety Jerome Boyd made a sensational diving play to prevent the wide-open Moore from scoring.

To hear Moore tell it, there’s nothing to see here. What he’s doing is what he always does. Don’t be so surprised.

“I hear it here and there,” Moore said after practice. “Coaches say I’m doing a good job, players say I’m doing a good job – they actually talk to me more. So, I guess I’m fitting in pretty well with the team right now.”

Fitting in? Jackson is going to have some explaining to do if Moore isn’t starting Sept. 12 against the Denver Broncos, or if Moore isn’t on the field a ton. There are 31 coaches and general managers grilling their scouting departments on how they let Moore slip past in the draft.

“It goes without question what he’s doing,” Jackson said. “For me to talk about him, there’s no reason to. … You get to see his plays because he jumps over people and he makes these fantastic catches and he runs with punts and all that.”

Denarius Moore: One of my “NFL Draft Sleepers” has been receiving praise from around the web for having an incredible training. In the Rookie WR Analysis I wrote that he could be the best all around WR on the team now. He is polished and can do it all. He had 3 catches for 37 yards, including a 26 yarder on 3rd and long & excluding a 56 yard punt return that was called back.

The Denarius Moore Show continues in Oakland.

The fifth-round pick from Tennessee has been the story of training camp. Even more encouraging, he was a standout in Oakland’s preseason opener against Arizona. He had three catches and did some nice work on kick and punt returns.

He has been constantly special and the Oakland Tribune has gone as far to write that Moore is often the best player on Oakland’s practice field. That’s saying quite a bit considering there are some pretty darned good football players donning the Silver and Black. The newspaper also said if Moore isn’t starting against Denver on Sept. 12 on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” Oakland coach Hue Jackson will have some “explaining to do.”

With receivers Jacoby Ford (broken hand) and Chaz Schilens (knee) hurt and Darrius Heyward-Bey still trying to find his groove, Moore will likely be given the chance to continue right away in the regular season if his strong play continues.

I’m excited to see more of him. This type of in-camp hype is rarely generated by a late-round pick.