The Miami Dolphins will be on the hunt for their next franchise quarterback, and that could be Dante Moore.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore announced the huge decision that he would forego the draft and return to college for the 2026 season. This major decision will have major implications on the 2026 NFL Draft, but could end up benefiting the Miami Dolphins in 2027.
Miami decided to engage in its first full reset in over a decade, and it began back in October when the Dolphins moved on from general manager Chris Grier. With Grier out, the attention was then pushed to Mike McDaniel.
Initially, reports indicated that McDaniel would be safe, but that was ultimately not the case. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross relieved him of his duties, pushing the reset even deeper.
The Dolphins have since brought in former Green Bay Packers VP of player personnel, Jon-Eric Sullivan, who is now the team's new general manager.
With Sullivan in place, his biggest goal is to get the Dolphins out of their current cap situation. The issue is that the team is stuck with big contracts, such as the over $50 million owed to wide receiver Tyreek Hill and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
That is not to mention the Dolphins being at negative $24 million in cap space for the 2026 season.
All this could mean that the 2026 season may be a wash for the Dolphins. Regardless of what Sullivan and the new front office say, along with whoever is named the new head coach, Miami may not be as competitive due to the current roster overhaul that needs to happen.
Should the Dolphins have to trade marquee players like wide receiver Jaylen Waddle or running back De'Von Achane, they will be looking ahead to a better 2027.
This is where Moore comes into play. Should the Dolphins have to essentially experience a down year in 2026, they may be in a prime position with draft capital and otherwise to land the Oregon prospect in 2027.
Granted, Moore was widely regarded as the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft and would likely rocket to the No. 1 overall pick in 2027. At the very least, he would be back in the top five along with other top prospects like Texas's Arch Manning.
It will be up to Sullivan to start navigating deals and construction of the current roster to put the Dolphins in a position to land a premier quarterback in the 2027 draft.
The Dolphins currently have the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they have already been linked to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, but early projections are a bit concerning.
Simpson has a good arm, but he also does not possess the kind of deep ball that the Dolphins may be looking for in their next franchise quarterback. Then again, if the Dolphins do draft him and he pans out, then they can adjust their plans for the 2027 draft.
In the same manner that the Arizona Cardinals treated the situation with Josh Rosen and then Kyler Murray, the same situation might need to happen for the Dolphins.
They do have rookie Quinn Ewers, who received a three-game audition in 2025. That is too small of a sample size to determine if he can lead the team moving forward.
Expect the Dolphins to potentially sign a veteran signal caller that could be used as the bridge starter between now and the team either drafting Simpson or Moore in 2027. Unless they land someone like Malik Willis or Mac Jones, who can potentially become the new starter.
This is all speculation, and there are a great deal of variables to consider when it comes to the current Dolphins roster.
Moore will undoubtedly be one of the top prospects in 2027, and the Dolphins may be one of the teams that will want to bring him in. This is assuming they have the draft capital to move up if they do have a solid 2026 season, and if they need him at all.
Either way, Moore's decision will certainly impact the way that all teams handle their draft plans for this year, including the Dolphins.
The organization needs a reset year, and 2026 could be that year. With 2027 being the year of a better cap situation and better draft prospects and position, Miami could be in line for Moore or another one of the bigger prospects that will be available then.