The Las Vegas Raiders are in the driver’s seat to get the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. All they need to do is lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18.
Many have already penciled down that the Raiders will take a quarterback with the top pick, and it’s easy to see why. Geno Smith had arguably the worst season of any starting quarterback this season, and the team doesn’t have a promising young player waiting in the wings.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is widely considered the favorite to be the Raiders’ pick. He won the Heisman Trophy and has all the traits a team wants from a franchise quarterback. However, the one area he’s lacking is that he doesn’t boast elite athletic traits.
This is why some believe that Oregon quarterback Dante Moore could convince the Raiders to take a big swing. Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic projected Las Vegas to take Moore over Mendoza in a new mock draft.
“Once again, the Raiders need an awful lot, but they’ve kicked the QB can down the road long enough,” Baumgardner wrote.
“We’re still not totally sure if Moore will declare for the draft or take another year at Oregon. The longer he plays well for the Ducks in the College Football Playoff, though, the higher his stock will climb. Moore reminds me of a younger Jayden Daniels in so many areas, his poise chief among them.”
Lack of Experience Is Biggest Concern With Moore
No player has improved their stock more this college football season than Moore. He had a lackluster start at UCLA and then transferred to Oregon, where he was Dillon Gabriel’s backup for a year.
He won the starting job for the Ducks this season and has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country. According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, some people around the NFL think he has more upside than any of the top quarterbacks in the draft class.
“He has the most upside physically of the three (QBs) in terms of being able to move, throw on the move, escape, horsepower in the arm,” an executive told Howe. “But he’s started (13) games. He’s a baby in terms of playing the position.”
Moore Could Stay Another Year at Oregon
If Moore declares, it looks like he’ll be a top-five pick right now. However, he’s only 20 and is going to make a ton of NIL money. Howe reported that there’s an expectation that he’ll return to college for another year, especially if he doesn’t play well in the College Football Playoff.
“Moore was described to The Athletic as an old soul who is process-oriented with high-end intangibles,” Howe wrote. “Teams believed Moore had long intended to return to school in 2026, but that hasn’t sounded like as much of a certainty for the past month or so. If the 6-foot-3, 206-pounder plays poorly against Texas Tech, a return to Oregon could be more likely.”
If Moore balls out and cements himself as a top-five pick, it’ll be very difficult for him to pass on the draft, but it appears he hasn’t made up his mind quite yet.
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