QB Dante Moore Has Tunnel Vision

27 days

That’s all it took for Oregon Quarterback Dante Moore to skyrocket from a prospect ranking in the 350-450 range (nflmockdraftdatabase.com) to No. 1 overall by CBS Sports (Oct. 9).

What?

Yeah ⎯

27 days

Holy footballs.

Yeah, Moore was pretty much an afterthought on September 13.

It’s true.

Hold up.

Hold up.

(Pumping brakes)

Hold up.

There’s work to be done.

All the excitement compelled me to investigate Moore on game film, but that didn’t mean just looking at the handful of games that’s driving the hype this season.

No…

It meant going back to Moore’s beginning at UCLA when he completed 53.5% of his passes while throwing 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. It also meant looking at his mop-up duty in 2024 after he transferred from UCLA to Oregon and completed 87.5% (7/8) with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.

2023

Moore started five games for the Bruins and played in nine. It was a little bit of everything. He showed some improvements as the season progressed, but overall, he was too inconsistent.

What were the best things he showed from an NFL Draft perspective?

• Athleticism
• Some improv
• Ability to work to his second and even third read
• Good arm strength
• Aggressively attacked downfield

What were the worst things he showed from an NFL Draft perspective?

• Below-average pocket awareness
• Not seeing defenders
• Consistent hesitation and locking in with receivers before throwing into the intermediate to deep route levels (11+ yards)
• Below-average ball placement and accuracy

Unpacking the positives

Moore did not demonstrate himself to be a true dual-threat player. He wasn’t beating anyone with his legs.

This prospect did ad-lib a little. He also showed the ability to change arm angles and sidearm the ball out on laterals.

The NFL is all about quarterbacks making quick and accurate throwing decisions.

I liked how Moore moved through his progressions. He looked a tad robotic doing it, but he did it in a timely fashion. Per PFF, Moore’s time to throw in 2023: 2.72 seconds. Not great. Not bad.

What did I like best?

He got some zip on the ball, and he attacked secondaries fearlessly.

Unpacking the negatives

Too often, Moore showed absolutely zero feel for the pass rush (sacked 25 times).

Worse yet ⎯

Moore wasn’t seeing defenders on some of his interceptions and throws that were broken up. Whether they were right in front of his face at the line of scrimmage or further downfield, it didn’t matter. He didn’t see them.

Then there’s the nasty tendency he showed to pause and lock in with his targets when he had to line up his body with his throwing trajectory for best results.

Accuracy ⎯

Moore’s ball placement was all over the road. He even threw a handful of airballs.

• 11/31 passes +20 air yards
• 35.4%

2024

Limited sample size.

It was all short passes on non-penalty plays on a better team.

Impressions?

• Led with good rhythm and tempo
• Less hesitation before throwing
• More relaxed and sure of himself

To be continued…

Dante Moore 6-foot-3, 206 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2023 and 2024 Game Film Grade: Third-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First Round prospect as of October 12, 2025.

UCLA 2023 game film evaluated (jersey #3): Coastal Carolina, San Diego State, North Carolina Central, Utah, Washington State, Oregon State, Stanford, Arizona, and CAL (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Oregon 2024 game film evaluation (jersey #5): Oregon State, Michigan State, Washington, and Ohio State

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

High-energy prospect with a depth perception concern. Made several NFL-level throws. Takes a deep breath to calm himself down. Inconsistent progressions. Too much arm when throwing. Relies on touch and arm strength. Tries to aim and steer the ball rather than relying on an equally distributed follow-through. Pushes the ball downfield. Unsettled feet. Average to above-average throwing anticipation. More accurate rolling out right, opposed to the left. Can drop his eyes under pressure. 2023: 17 PBUs (1.88 per-game-average).

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Feeling pressure?

2. Seeing defenders?

3. Throwing mechanics?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.