Dante Moore decision weakens 2026 NFL Draft QB class

After potential 2025 NFL Draft picks Drew Allar, Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik returned to college only to have their stock plummet with bad seasons, Moore's decision to return to Oregon carries potential risk.

If he struggles next season, Moore will go from likely first-round pick to a possible Day 2 or 3 selection. The 2027 class should also be stronger (at the very least, it can't get any worse), which could make Moore less attractive, too.

As for this year, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza looks like a safe bet to go to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 overall. Moore's decision complicates the picture afterward. 

Teams such as the Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins need a quarterback, and they'll be fighting for scraps. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson might be the second-best in the class, yet his struggles handling pressure during the second-half of the season  make him less trustworthy.

That diminished quarterback class should make teams in the market reconsider their draft strategy. Instead of targeting a quarterback in Round 1, it would make more sense to add better players at other positions of need and select one later in the draft.

The lack of QB depth in 2026 will also be a huge boost for spot starters this season, including San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones and Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis. Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota were also serviceable backups in 2025, while Spencer Rattler was better than his win-loss record indicates for the New Orleans Saints.

Over the last few years, quarterbacks including Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones have all re-ignited their careers after failed stops in their first NFL homes, and the chances of another reclamation project working out in 2026 might be more likely than a second-rate rookie leading a turnaround.

As bare as the upcoming quarterback class is, teams in the market for one will need to get creative in finding a fix. The 2026 draft isn't coming to save them.