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Dante Moore's decision to return to college affects the 2026 and 2027 NFL Drafts, leading teams to reconsider their quarterback strategies. Several NFL teams are now likely to tank for top prospects like Moore and Arch Manning.
When Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore announced his decision to return to college for one more season, it was clearly going to send ripple effects through the 2026 NFL Draft, as he was spurning a chance to be either the No. 1 or No. 2 pick. The quarterback-needy Las Vegas Raiders selected Indiana's Fernando Mendoza first overall, while the New York Jets, also needing a long-term solution at quarterback, opted for Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey. Moore's return to Oregon left no other passer worthy of being selected second overall.
But his return didn't just change the results of the 2026 draft, but also the 2027 draft — and the jockeying that will likely take place this fall in the NFL with Moore, Texas' Arch Manning, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers and several other quarterbacks projected as franchise-level talents.
As many as a dozen NFL teams don't consider their current starting passer heading into this season as a long-term option, with two consecutive weak quarterback classes as a prime cause. It's created a significant separation between those who have a solidified starting quarterback, and those who don't.
And in professional sports, those who don't have the goods will do anything to get them.
Just look at the NBA this past season. The 2026 draft class features a rock solid top four of BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas' Darryn Peterson, Duke's Cameron Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, all of which are considered future multi-time All-Stars with superstar potential. Teams began to "tank" — purposely losing and dropping in the standings in order to increase odds of a high draft pick — began around Christmas and continued for the final four months of the season.
It was an ugly product, with nearly a third of the league's teams sitting their top players and putting G League-caliber talent on the floor night-after-night in an attempt to deliberately lose games. The were even fined $500,000 in February for yet continued those same practices for the next two months. They ended up with the No. 2 pick, thus making the hefty fine well worth it.
Dante Moore's return means he won't be available as a top pick, affecting the draft strategy of teams needing quarterbacks.
As many as a dozen NFL teams are considering tanking to secure franchise-level quarterbacks like Dante Moore and Arch Manning.
The lack of strong quarterback classes has left many teams without reliable starters, prompting them to seek top prospects in upcoming drafts.
Top prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft include Dante Moore, Arch Manning, and LaNorris Sellers, all viewed as franchise-level talents.
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Now, the NFL is a completely different animal. For one, it's much more physical than the NBA, making tanking a serious danger risk. Not going full speed results in injuries in football, while in basketball, that same lack of effort results in a wide open dunk or three-pointer. It's a different game.
But the aspect of putting replacement-level players on the field is still a strategy that can be implemented. For the Jets, potentially benching veteran stop-gap quarterback Geno Smith and replacing him with fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik is a quiet, yet deliberate way to tank their way to the bottom of the standings.
"After the trade deadline [in early November 2026] is when things will really start to pivot," an NFC executive told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "By then, you'll have a feel for which quarterbacks will emerge as primary options atop the draft, and teams will understand where they are in their trajectory."
"In other words, teams out of contention will be tempted to look toward their April possibilities while trying to finish out a rough year on the field," Fowler wrote in a prediction of the 2027 offseason.
The 2024 quarterback class, which featured six first-rounders, has drawn comparisons to the 2027 group. Each of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and former Duck Bo Nix have established themselves as Pro Bowl-caliber players within their first two seasons in the league, persuading teams to believe that the same could come out of the draft next year.
And rightfully so.
Moore was one of the best pure passers in the nation in just his first full season as the starter for the Ducks, leading them to 13 wins. Manning, though he battled inconsistencies with his throwing motion early, flourished down the stretch of the year. The combination of Sellers' frame (6-foot-3, 240 pounds), elite speed and eye-popping arm strength have some scouts tabbing him as the quarterback with the most potential. And don't forget about Notre Dame's C.J. Carr and Ohio State's Julian Sayin, both of whom excelled in their first season as the starter and will be draft-eligible in 2027 if they choose to declare.
The abundance of talent has put an increased focus on the 2026 college football season, and if the top passers are considered worthy, we could see NFL teams drop like flies towards the bottom of the standings like never before.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 2026 NFL season could be greatly affected by 2027 QB class