<a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/dante-moore-29804/">Dante Moore</a>‘s <a href="https://www.on3.com/college/oregon-ducks/news/oregon-ducks-qb-dante-moore-set-to-return-to-college-for-2026-season/">decision on Wednesday to return</a> to <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/oregon-ducks/">Oregon</a> for the 2026 college football season sent shockwaves through personnel offices all across the NFL. That was especially true for those teams eyeing a quarterback at the top of the <a href="https://www.on3.com/pro/category/nfl-draft/news/">2026 NFL Draft</a>. Now it’s back to the drawing board.



And while it was a welcome late Christmas present for Ducks fans, Moore’s return for a second season as Oregon’s QB1 has already started to have real ramifications ahead of April’s 2026 NFL Draft.



During a Thursday afternoon hit on SportsCenter, ESPN NFL draft expert Matt Miller revealed what Moore’s move means for the quarterback-needy teams in the Top 10 of this year’s draft. Miller also revealed the player that could most likely replace Moore as the No. 2 QB behind projected top overall pick <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/fernando-mendoza-43783/">Fernando Mendoza</a> of <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/indiana-hoosiers/">Indiana</a> — <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/alabama-crimson-tide/">Alabama</a>‘s <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/ty-simpson-117106/">Ty Simpson</a>.



“It is huge for the NFL Draft in 2026, and we have a lot of teams at the top of this board that are going to wonder, ‘what do we do now?’ Because Fernando Mendoza is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, that’s going to leave teams like the New York Jets, the Arizona Cardinals, potentially, the Cleveland Browns once again looking for a quarterback,” Miller said Thursday afternoon. “Those teams are now left without that clear-cut No. 2 quarterback in this class. … So now there is a bit of a void. We will see if Ty Simpson from Alabama, who has declared for the draft after starting one season there, we’ll see if he can step up over the next three months and become a Top 10 player in this class.



“I don’t currently have him ranked as one, but there is absolutely a void for these teams that might have to pivot to trading for a quarterback. Maybe we see <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/kyler-murray-77153/">Kyler Murray</a> and the Arizona Cardinals have a breakup and he’s on the market? But if you’re a Jets fan and a Browns fans, I’m sorry, if this was the year you thought you were going to load up and get a quarterback, you might be waiting for 2027.”



As Miller indicated, the New York Jets — owners of the No. 2 overall pick after going 3-14 in 2025 — appear to be the biggest losers at the moment. Though <a href="https://www.on3.com/pro/news/2026-nfl-draft-cbs-sports-shakes-up-mock-draft-after-dante-moore-decision/">if a recent mock draft from CBS Sports</a> is any indication, the Jets might still be able to land their QB of the future in Simpson, who is currently expected to be available at No. 16 for the second of New York’s two first-round picks after last season’s trade of cornerback <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/sauce-gardner-1867/">Sauce Gardner</a> to the Indianapolis Colts.

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ESPN draft expert reveals what Dante Moore return means for 2026 NFL Draft, Ty Simpson

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