Elite scouts demand Dante Moore sharpen his poise against top-tier defenses to secure the 2027 top pick, urging the Oregon Ducks star to minimize turnovers in high-stakes showdowns.
Even after a 56-22 loss to Indiana in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl in January, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore had a chance to be a top 5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Moore opted to return to Oregon for the upcoming season, becoming a two-year starter at the college level before attempting to jump to the league in 2027.
Moore is taking something of a risk. The 2027 draft class is expected to be loaded with talent at quarterback. However, he wanted to get better at handling pressure and not turning the ball over before playing in the NFL, where there is much less of a margin for error.
Per Jordan Reid of ESPN, league scouts have a warning for Moore. He needs to play much better against elite competition than he did last season when he struggled at Indiana in the regular season and CFP and Texas Tech in the CFP quarterfinal.
"The Ducks are loaded after several players eschewed the draft to stay in school," Reid wrote. "The headliner is Moore, who enters the season as a prime contender to be the No. 1 overall pick.
"A natural thrower, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback experienced a breakout season in 2025, but scouts want to see him play better against high-quality opponents."
The reward for Moore could be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft. He had no chance of usurping Fernando Mendoza after the result in the CFP semifinal in January.
Obviously, it isn't a lock that Moore will be the first player or quarterback taken in next year's draft. His main competition for that spot is expected to be Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
Manning didn't play well to start the 2025 campaign but had a solid second half of the year. Because of his last name, Manning will have a little more margin for error for NFL scouts and front offices because of his potential to develop in the league.
Moore can't play at the level he did last year and become the No. 1 pick. He's going to need to play better in the CFP, and limit turnovers against defenses with NFL players on them.
