3,500-Yard College Football QB Predicted to be No. 1 Pick in 2027 NFL Draft

More than a few college football analysts and draft watchers were of the opinion that one notable Big Ten quarterback would ditch school and put his name in this year’s NFL Draft before he decided to spurn the pros and take a chance on college one more time.

Now with what will be another year of starting experience under his belt, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is getting serious attention as the most promising player at his position in the class that will hear their names called at the 2027 NFL Draft.

Moore over Manning?

That’s the opinion of NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who believes Moore’s experience and production at this point give him an advantage over the other quarterback often cited as the likely top pick, Texas star Arch Manning.

"I'll go with the Oregon quarterback over Arch [Manning]. I'll go Dante Moore."@MoveTheSticks believes that Oregon's Dante Moore can be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL draft 👀

(via @RichEisenShow) pic.twitter.com/iFujfzIdJB
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 27, 2026

“Just because I’ve seen him play at a higher level for a longer period of time,” Jeremiah told The Rich Eisen Show when comparing Moore against Manning.

He added: “Arch has all the ability in the world, and I’m looking forward to really studying him. I’ve just done more work, because I thought Dante was coming out. I haven’t done that full workup on Arch, so I’m covering myself there.”

Moore stayed in school

3,500-Yard College Football QB Predicted to be No. 1 Pick to 2027 NFL Draft — Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Moore had the chance this spring to declare for the NFL Draft, and where most analysts were of the near consensus opinion that he would have been a sure thing as a very early round selection.

But instead he decided to return to Oregon after the school’s uninspiring exit from the College Football Playoff semifinal at the hands of eventual national champion Indiana.

Production wise, Moore hit on 24 of 39 passes with 285 yards and 2 touchdowns with 1 interception in that game, but he threw a pick six on the first snap, and was unable to lead the Ducks’ offense in matching the Hoosiers’ control of the game.

Early turnovers and Oregon’s inability to match Indiana’s offensive explosiveness, hampered by the Ducks not playing with their top two running backs that night, spoiled the school’s, and Moore’s, national title hopes.

A solid first outing

In his first season as Oregon’s starter, Moore threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns against 10 turnovers throwing the ball, being named third team All Big Ten.

Matching that output this fall will help Moore seriously boost his draft stock and give NFL scouts more evidence that he’s worthy of a high draft selection.

Arch is right there

As might be expected, the name of Manning is topping most other 2027 NFL Draft rankings, further adding to the enormous weight of expectation the Longhorns quarterback has been carrying since he was in high school.

The former No. 1 overall recruit, that illustrious surname, all of it resulted in Manning entering his first starting season facing massive expectations.

All of which evaporated temporarily after an ugly debut in a loss at Ohio State in the season opener, and which didn’t improve much over the course of the early season.

But improve they did over the second half of the 2025 campaign, as Manning led Texas to a 4-1 finish that included three wins over ranked opponents, including a massive home upset over undefeated rival Texas A&M, and a big bowl win against Michigan.

More of that, and Manning could have the edge over Moore as the No. 1 pick, but a year out from then and with the Texas quarterback still needing to prove his staying power, it looks like a close race.

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