Dante Moore Scouting Report: An Early Look At The Potential QB1 In The 2027 NFL Draft

I was genuinely shocked when Dante Moore announced that he was returning to Oregon for another season instead of heading to the NFL. Welcome to the NIL world, where depending on where you get drafted as a quarterback, you could make more money in college than you would as an NFL rookie.

What shocked me was that I believed Moore was the best quarterback prospect in the draft. So when he decided to return to college football, it opened the door for Fernando Mendoza to be considered the top guy at quarterback and thus, the top guy overall. Moore could have been the new trigger man in Las Vegas, but he is back with the Ducks. The NFL's loss is college football's gain.

Moore's reasoning for returning to college makes a lot of sense. He gets a chance to continue to mature while refining his skills, which will make him more ready for the physical and mental challenges of the NFL. He will only be 21 when he hears his name called in the 2027 NFL Draft. NIL makes the need to chase the NFL money unnecessary for elite quarterbacks. What Moore brings to the field can't be denied, and now we get a chance to hopefully watch him refine his skills and be even more effective. These transferable skills are what have scouts salivating.

Early NFL Draft Scouting Report For Dante Moore

Elite Arm Talent

Yes, Moore has a strong arm, but that doesn't tell the entire story. It's not just the ability to throw the ball far or throw the ball hard; it's the ability to do it without having to wind up and get your entire body into it. His quick whipping motion results in the ball jumping out of his hands, as if it's being teleported to the receiver. No wasted motion, no indicators giving the defenders that he's about to throw. He just sees the pass, makes the pass and completes the pass.

Make no mistake, Moore has an extremely strong arm and can make all the throws. But the difference between guys who can make all the throws and the elites is how much air they need under the football in order for it to get to the receiver. It is the difference between flying on a commercial plane vs a jet. Both aircraft will get you to the destination. One will be seen by everyone and have the opportunity to be exposed to negative actions. The other gets there fast, before anyone notices.

In the NFL, when windows get smaller and defenders have elite athleticism that allows them to close on passes faster, having a release that's difficult to telegraph and the ability to quickly deliver the ball to your receiver is definitely a trait worth having. This season, as we see another year of Moore's body naturally maturing, expect his velocity to be even more impressive than in the past.

Quick Processing

One of the areas we saw Moore improve tremendously during the 2025 season was his processing. He was able to analyze the play versus the defense, diagnose the coverage and anticipate where to deliver the pass. This is why he was able to find so much success, especially in the short and intermediate passing concepts. Most evaluators will tell you this is what separates college quarterbacks from the pros: an ability to throw players open, instead of waiting for them to clear before you throw the football. It's not just diagnosing coverage; it's manipulating coverage.

His anticipation allows him to get the ball out of his hands faster, which keeps him more protected. A big part of pocket awareness is understanding the importance of getting the ball out of your hands quickly and decisively. It has a negative effect on defensive linemen, especially pass rushers, who begin to feel they never have a chance to sack the quarterback. Playing with anticipation and timing takes the fight out of defense, and when they lower their effort even by a small margin, Moore is able to make an even bigger impact.

The reason why Oregon's tight ends and backs have had so much success as pass receivers is that Moore is able to get them the ball early and in rhythm so that they can run after the catch. Six Oregon receivers with 25 or more receptions averaged 11 or more yards per reception last season. That is a direct reflection on Moore's ability to get them the ball in areas where they can pick up extra yards after the catch.

It is also one of the reasons why, even with the presence of future Jets first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq, Jamari Johnson averaged a whopping 15.9 yards per reception as a tight end last year and is expected to have a monster season in 2026 for the Ducks.

Pocket Navigation and Accuracy Off Platform

Although you wouldn't notice it by his rushing statistics, Moore is a sneaky athlete. He may not be in the same vein as your traditional dual-threat quarterbacks because he uses his athleticism to extend plays and to neutralize rushers in the passing attack. His pocket IQ is extremely high, and he has light, quick feet that allow him to move around like a prima ballerina, sauntering between line dancers.

He is very intentional in his drops and makes sure that he doesn't drift in the pocket. He will climb the areas necessary to allow offensive linemen to get better angles on blocks and buy more time to deliver the pass. One could argue that when the pocket condenses, that is when Moore is at his best.

Even amongst all the chaos that can happen within a pocket, when he's moving around, sidestepping defenders and avoiding edge rushers, he's keeping his eyes squarely downfield, trying to locate his targets. It's one of his talents that makes him special: that focus and fearlessness in the pocket while everything seems to be closing in on him.

He stays strong in the pocket and rarely abandons a clean area simply because his first or second read is not there. When he does decide to escape, it's not usually to pick up rushing yards, although he has the ability to keep the chains moving with his legs. Normally, when he escapes the pocket, it is to buy more time for receivers downfield. He looks to extend the down within the structure of the play call.

When he escapes laterally—either by reversing out of the pocket or stepping up and vacating to either side—he has the innate ability to deliver accurate passes from multiple angles and platforms. Yes, part of this ability is based on his arm talent, but another element—one that is underrated—is his ability to deliver the pass accurately, even though his feet are not in a normal, set position. Most people, most quarterbacks, especially college quarterbacks, get wildly inaccurate if they don't have their feet set correctly.

Moore was one of the most productive deep passers in 2025 because of his ability to extend the play outside of the pocket and deliver the ball off platform. Another season to master the offense, more maturity, and the confidence to know that he can play at a high level against the toughest competition will only make Moore more attractive when the 2027 NFL Draft rolls around.

It should be a fun season to watch him perform.

Players Mentioned in this Article

FernandoMendoza
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Published Aug 22, 2026, 4:00 AM ET