Jordan Rodgers makes the case for Dante Moore to earn top quarterback spot in 2026 NFL Draft

Several players can impact their upcoming draft stock this year during the College Football Playoff. Few, though, could affect their stock more than Dante Moore during the Ducks’ appearances in the CFP.

On ‘Get Up’ on Friday morning, ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers, Field Yates, and Peter Schrager all agreed on that with Moore. The trio stated Moore has the chance to play his way into being the top quarterback off the board, if not the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. That’s based on what he could further showcase in the playoff and what’s thought to be even more of a ceiling to go from there.

“I think he absolutely can,” Rodgers said of Moore playing his way into being the No. 1 overall pick. “He has more upside than Fernando Mendoza. I love Mendoza, but the mobility of Dante Moore and also, the fluid throwing motion. He’s the most natural thrower in this entire draft class, and that means his ability to change arm angles, to take pace off the ball, to have great ball location off-platform, which is something I don’t think Mendoza excels at as much as Dante Moore, or Ty Simpson.

“So, if he plays well, and they get on a run, he can absolutely play himself into that position as QB1. That QB1, and Top 10 picks? It’s off upside, not floor. Mendoza has a better floor. Moore has a much bigger upside, in my opinion.”

Being more so experts on the NFL and the NFL Draft, Yates and Schrager concurred on Moore. Yates also thinks, although it could be based more so on fit come draft time, that he can do it with how things could go leading into the spring, while Schrager thought so too as he’d be a prospect that he believes decision-makers wouldn’t be able to ignore.

“There’s at least a chance that Dante Moore could find his way into the number one overall pick conversation,” Yates said. “Over the three and a half or four months after the College Football Playoff is over, we start to overthink these things, and sometimes we do just gravitate towards who has the higher upside, who could be the guy that can take your franchise from the doldrums of the league to potentially the playoffs. And, some of the things that Dante Moore brings to the table, some of that creativity? He’s got a variety of arm angles he can deliver from. He’s got great second-reaction skills.

“And, I know that Fernando Mendoza is not some 25-year-old prospect coming out, but Dante Moore? The idea of talking to scouts is, hey, we’ve seen him play one and a half seasons of college football. There’s an element of not having seen enough of him that kind of actually works in his favor in projecting a potential bigger ceiling going forward…Both of these guys are really good. It’ll probably come down to a little bit of a stylistic fit, what do you prefer in your quarterback within the structure of your offense.”

In helping to lead Oregon to the CFP at 11-1, Moore has posted 72.5% completion for 227.8 passing yards per game with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. That, in what’s projected as a lesser class at quarterback, pending who still could go on to enter, may already have him in contention to be a high selection come the end of April. He could then further make that case with a run for the Ducks led by him in the College Football Playoff.

Moore has a playoff to still focus on first, with a game they’re expected to win this weekend before an anticipated matchup from there in the Orange Bowl come New Year’s Day. Still, as far as his future goes, this could be a massive four weeks for the Ducks’ QB1.