Former NFL Scout Gives QB Dante Moore First Round Grade

I wanted to keep watching.

That’s how I felt when evaluating Oregon quarterback (QB) Dante Moore.

There was just something about him.

It was the way he carried himself. It was also his propensity for the big play.

On +20 air-yard passes that I charted, Moore completed 25/47 (53.2%).

Great touch.

Who does he remind me of?

He’s a mix between current Packers QB Jordan Love and former NFL QB Donovan McNabb. Moore aggressively attacks downfield like I remember Love doing when I evaluated him. Moore carries himself like McNabb with that same kind of even-keeled calm demeanor.

Those are some BIG comps.

Yes, they are.

What other consistent positive traits did Moore show?

• Air of maturity
• Leads with an urgent ball control pace
• The offense always felt like it was leaning forward
• Sets up in the pocket quickly
• Fancy ball handling
• Sells misdirection
• Good accuracy rolling out to his right
• Delivers from different arm angles
• Spreads the ball around
• Good understanding of when to throw “heaters” and when to “take something off” of his passes
• Throws with average-to-above-average anticipation
• Tendency to throw lower arc passes downfield that get there quicker (which gives defenders less opportunity)
• Doesn’t take a lot of sacks or yardage losses (12 sacks in 13 games)
• Good ball security (14 pass breakups in 13 games: 1.07 per game average)
• Decent job protecting his body

“Capable” of getting the ball out of his hand quickly

With the speed of today’s NFL pass rushers, it’s ideal to have a QB who can make quicker throwing decisions. It’s also important for the sake of timing routes between the QB and their receivers.

According to NEXT GEN STATS, NFL QB “times to throw” ranged between 2.42 and 3.14 seconds in 2024.

What was Moore’s time to throw in 2025?

Pro Football Focus: 2.52 seconds

With that said, there are also times his process slows down.

Biggest concerns

• Inconsistent footwork when throwing
• Momentary lapses of judgment

Moore tends to lift his right back foot to one degree or another when throwing, and that causes some of his passes to sail high or be overthrown. However, due to his strong arm and instincts, he’s able to overcome this mechanical flaw a lot of the time.

There are also sporadic moments when he makes these “out-of-character” mistakes. The result can be him not seeing a defender in his line of vision when throwing, or him just freezing and folding in the pocket, while making no effort to escape the pressure.

Upward trajectory 📈

His confidence was growing as the season progressed….

As was his appetite for throwing aggressively downfield.

It’s always good to see a quarterback prospect trending in the right direction at this point in the process.

#5 Dante Moore 6-foot-3, 206 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2026 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First Round prospect as of December 31, 2025

QB Dante Moore Has Tunnel Vision (2023: 9 games evaluated and 2024: 4 games evaluated)

2025 game film evaluated: Montana State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Oregon State, Penn State, Indiana, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, USC, Washington, and James Madison (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

No. 13 rushing attack

Played five top-25 teams in 2025

2025: 246/340 (72.4%), 3,046 yards, 28 TD, 8 INT (58 carries)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Quarterback first. Calculated runner second. Strong presence. Athletic. Competitive. Verbal cadence. High football IQ. Knows where to go with the ball. Some pre-determined throws. Otherwise, makes one-to-two read throws (got to his third read four times). Poised. Some RPO. Excellent in structure. Above-average out of structure. Average pocket awareness. Can move the pocket and sometimes sidestep pressure. Pats the ball pre-delivery. Compact throwing motion. Slings it. Fits it into tight throwing windows. Makes some big-time NFL-type looking passes. Can layer the ball behind defenders. Above-average placement overall. Precise back-shoulder throws. Does a great job minimizing the exposure of the ball to the defense. Tries too hard at times by pushing and steering passes, which causes inaccuracy. Tough runner. Above-average speed. Slides, dives, or gets out of bounds often.

Final words

Moore is a franchise NFL QB waiting to happen.

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.