‘I’d be disappointed in him’ – Oregon QB Dante Moore receiving mixed reviews as the declaration date for the 2026 NFL Draft arrives
Should Oregon QB Dante Moore declare for the 2026 NFL Draft or return to school?
The deadline for players to enter the 2026 NFL Draft class is on Wednesday, the only exceptions being those participating in the College Football Championship game. With so many talented prospects yet to make a decision, the final day is going to be extremely busy. The most important decision yet to be announced is from Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, a talented signal caller who has been projected to be a top-two overall selection.
With Moore’s potential standing in the class, most would think that it would be a no-brainer for the redshirt sophomore signal caller to enter. For whatever reason, however, there have always been these interesting whispers about Moore returning for the 2026 college football season. Those have gotten louder and louder after the talented passer had a couple of underwhelming outings against Texas Tech and Indiana down the stretch. There is a very interesting case for Moore to be patient.
Depending on what NFL Draft analyst or scout you speak to, you are going to get a different perspective on what the 6-3, 206-pound signal caller should do. My fellow A to Z Sports NFL Draft analyst Joe DeLeone joined me to debate the decision. Funny enough, DeLeone and I actually see the situation pretty similarly.
DeLeone’s take on Dante Moore
Moore’s draft situation is incredibly complicated. In a vacuum, his talent is that of a prospect worthy of a top-five selection, as he has the potential to be a high-level starter in the NFL. However, it’s certainly not that simple.
In his remaining three games, he’s thrown four interceptions, which has highlighted a key issue with Moore as a prospect. As a quarterback who’s only started for one full season, it’s clear his lack of experience caught up with him. His decision-making and poise became a liability despite having the arm talent and accuracy to be an elite college player.
A return to school is best for his development, especially given how many older prospects have excelled in their first seasons in the NFL. It doesn’t take a scientist to know more reps mean more preparedness. While he’s good enough to jump to the NFL now, it wouldn’t be best for his overall growth as a player and long-term stability in the NFL.
The potential landing spots are what complicate this the most. Many of the teams interested in taking him are desperate for a quarterback savior and may be impatient with how long it takes him to develop. The New York Jets and Cleveland Browns are perfect examples of teams that haven’t had quarterback stability, having made this mistake numerous times in their history.
Moore landing with a franchise with a bad roster around him would be catastrophic for his career. He could end up being the latest young QB that is bailed on before he’s even given time to find his footing.
Lastly, you now have former 5-star Dylan Raiola coming to Eugene. While Raiola reportedly indicated he’s willing to sit, it does feel like Oregon is pritoitizing building without him. Raiola should factor into this the least, but his presence feels odd, knowing he’s a player who can start right now.
Roberts’ take on Dante Moore
At this point, I don’t think that Moore should declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, if he did, I’d be disappointed in him. From a pure talent perspective, the Michigan native has everything you would want in a quarterback. He is an extremely gifted passer with tons of arm talent and upside. If Moore lands in the right situation, I do believe he could end up being a very good pro.
The problem is that the New York Jets are not a stable environment for Moore to land, and that fit would worry me if Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza did indeed go with the top selection to the Las Vegas Raiders. At just 20 years old, Moore is still a bit of an inexperienced player, having started just 20 total games in his career, and five of them happened during the 2023 season at UCLA. With Moore struggling a bit against the best defenses he faced this season, I simply believe that he needs more reps. He needs to play more football.
Throwing Moore into a tough situation that will make him sink or swim right now doesn’t feel wise to me. Quarterback is a position where I want them to have as much college experience as possible. You can’t make a substitute for those live reps, especially when the game gets faster in a split second. I’m not sure that Moore is ready for that right now.
With all that being said, Moore would be my top-rated quarterback if he opts to enter the 2026 class. I do tend to favor the ceiling over the floor in the evaluation space, and for me, while Mendoza is safer, Moore has the better chance of being a legitimate franchise quarterback. He is just a player who will probably need a bit more time to develop.
This is going to be the ultimate decision of short-term payback compared to long-term stability. If Moore enters the class, he is going to go high, and you can’t argue against anyone who sees the money and opportunity in front of them. I do, however, believe that the better decision would be to push for that stability. You only get one chance to jump to the NFL, and Moore is a player who could use another year of maturation, but we will know what he does in just a few hours.
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