Moore returning to school shakes up the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft
Dante Moore of Oregon is returning to school because he was afraid of being drafted by the New York Jets. Okay, that's mean and probably not why he made that decision, but either way, the quarterback is off the board in an incredibly thin 2026 quarterback class. Moore's decision has a cascading effect on the New Orleans Saints. The hope was team's would fight for Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and Moore as their franchise quarterback.
Recent mock drafts, which included Moore in the top five, left the Saints with their choice of impact offensive players. Now, the Saints will still have a chance at an impact player, but players like wide receiver Jordyn Tyson will be off the board (he's a New York Giant).
Eric Froton of NBC Sports released his latest mock draft without Moore and has the Saints selecting a unique player from past mock drafts.
David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
Unanimous All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, David Bailey (6’3/250) delivered a dominant all-around season in 2025, earning an elite 93.6 overall PFF grade with standout marks as a pass rusher (93.9). He was consistently disruptive off the edge, piling up 81 total pressures that included 14.5 sacks, 23 hits, and 43 hurries, while also batting two passes at the line of scrimmage. The combination of high-end pressure production paired with high-level efficiency against both the run and pass made Bailey one of the most impactful defenders in the country this season and a coveted 2026 NFL Draft edge defender regardless of defensive scheme.
Froton believes two receivers will be taken within the top five. Carnell Tate will be a New York Jet, and Tyson will be a Brown. The most coveted EDGE in the draft, Reuben Bain Jr., would go one pick ahead of the Saints, but Bailey would be an incredible addition to a defensive line that has two ten-plus sack linemen.
Here is Matt Holder of Bleacher Report's scouting report for Bailey:
- Impressive athlete who is quick-twichted and has very smooth/easy change of direction skills to beat offensive linemen across faces.
- Good acceleration off the line of scrimmage to win around the edge with speed.
- Bailey uses his hands well as a pass-rusher, showing quick and active hands to "defeat the hands, defeat the man" against offensive tackles.
- Shown several pass-rush moves that he can with: hand swipe, rip, ghost rush, inside spin and long-arm.
- Good bend to corner at the top of the rush.
- Very agile to be an effective looper in line games, he can gain ground vertically while moving laterally.
Will the Saints use their eighth pick on a defensive lineman? That remains to be seen, but the Saints will have a great opportunity to add an impact player either way.