Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has yet to make his draft decision, but the warnings are already coming in. This year has been perceived as a two-quarterback draft, and after the loss to the Buffalo Bills, the New York Jets earned the No.2 overall selection. With the Raiders expected to get Fernando Mendoza, the Jets are likely to go for Moore, which some experts are afraid could spell doom for the Ducks QB.

Todd McShay has urged Dante Moore to think about moving to the NFL draft this year, asking him to ditch the Jets and go to the Las Vegas Raiders. If not, the former ESPN analyst believes Moore would be better off staying in Eugene rather than jeopardizing his career with the Jets, whose last campaign was as dismal as it could have gotten. Similarly, Colin Cowherd echoed the same sentiment.

“This is one of those things I’ve always felt bad for professional athletes,” he shared on his podcast on Wednesday. “The better you are, the crappier franchise you go to. If I were Dante Moore and kind of wanted to come out. I would stay in college so that I don’t play with the New York Jets.

The Oregon Ducks’ star quarterback is currently in limbo. While a $2.3 million deal awaits his return to Eugene, the pull of the NFL is understandably way harder to resist. So far, the redshirt sophomore hasn’t declared for the draft yet, but the New York Jets, who are desperately in need of a strong arm and have the solution to their QB problem in Moore. But pundits are already asking him to proceed with caution.

It’s not as if Moore is not good at what he does. He is great. But his potential move to the pro league comes with serious consequences if rushed. The Jets’ 3-14 record is a disaster in the making. Not that the league had any luck last year, but head coach Aaron Glenn was clutching at straws to make this season a success. But the nightmare was far from over. Just last month, they recorded the worst-ever December scoring margin (-107) after falling to the New England Patriots. And the list goes on.

According to TruMedia, the Jets’ combined offensive and defensive EPA is the worst of any franchise since 2009. Although the data speaks of the post-2000 era, it’s enough to paint a bleak picture for Moore. With that, they have already made history by recording zero interceptions this season. Besides, the QB situation isn’t getting better. In the last five years, the Jets have started ten quarterbacks on the offense.

So when Cowherd said, “There’s nothing for Dante Moore to grab onto,” he was dead serious. “You can’t ask a guy in the NIL era to come out of Oregon, which was 15 years ahead of everybody else in terms of facilities and treating players,” he added.

With that being said, should Dante Moore, who still has two years of eligibility left in his pocket,

make a move to the NFL? The Ducks are winning, inching closer to the national championship each passing week. He has touched the 3,000 yards milestone and chipped in 28 touchdowns and two additional scores on the ground.

He already sat out a season to work on his development; what’s stopping him from splurging a season under the watchful eyes of Dan Lanning? It’s no secret that the Ducks love to splurge millions on their elite players. A potential move to the NFL for financial reasons is not enough, given how Moore is already relishing a $2.3 million deal.

Could Dante Moore leave for the draft?

So far, Dante Moore has kept his plans under wraps. With the Peach Bowl looming ahead, the signal caller is fixated on bringing the netting back to Eugene. However, Moore’s silence does not mean that the NFL is not buzzing for his arrival. In December, EssentiallySports’ Tony Pauline

reported that there is a possibility Moore might eventually wind up in the pro league if he stays in the top 5.

“Speaking with those around Moore, I’m told there’s a likelihood that the quarterback will enter the draft if the intelligence received before the deadline for underclassmen declarations indicates that the quarterback will be selected in the top five,” Pauline has reported. “At the very least, Moore’s advisors will recommend he enter the event if the information coming back shows he’ll end up in the initial handful of picks, and that’s exactly what I expect the intelligence to show.”

In his 2026 NFL Draft mock-ups, Pauline has put Moore as his first-round pick. Besides the Jets, the Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, and Pittsburgh Steelers are in the conversation as well. What do you think Moore will decide when push comes to shove? Drop your comments below.

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