Dante Moore’s Struggles Saturday Could Push Browns Further From Drafting Him

Dante Moore is expected to be one of the top picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.

But on Saturday, Sept. 12, the Oregon Ducks' senior quarterback put together a rough showing against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

In a 39-31 defeat, the No.6-ranked Ducks saw Moore go 14-for-29 with 191 yards and two scores. He was also sacked four times and carried the ball six times for negative nine yards.

If the Cleveland Browns were considering Moore in next year's draft, Saturday's lackluster performance certainly won't help his case.

After all, Oklahoma State is now the first team in college football history to beat a Top 10 opponent while on a losing streak of 10 games or more. The Cowboys were riding a 12-game streak.

While one game won't completely scare away the Browns, who have always been notorious for keeping faith for far too long, Moore disappointed.

Well, I’ve seen enough of Dante Moore and Arch Manning today that the #Browns are probably better off just winning as much as they can this season.
— Nick Camino (@NickCaminoWKYC) September 13, 2026

Cleveland's Better Off Trusting Who They've Got

The Browns are in a position where they could be searching for their next franchise quarterback by the time the 2026 season comes to a close.

With current starting quarterback Deshaun Watson being a major unknown, all while second-years Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders remain unpolished, adding another project like Moore into the mix wouldn't necessarily be the smartest move.

Games like Saturday are a reminder that even players expected to be selected near the top of the draft come with significant risks.

Dante Moore being out played by Drew Mestemaker portends a major shakeup in Tony’s Top 5 for Tuesday.
— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) September 12, 2026

And that's where Moore may not fit what Cleveland needs.

If they were going to go out and draft an arm next year, the Browns wouldn't be focused on upside. Instead, they would be focused on landing a player who can be the answer they are searching for.

Bringing in Moore would mean starting the development process over again, leaning into those hard-to-watch teaching moments and patience. That's something the city has become far too familiar with in recent years.

The Browns would be better served investing their draft capital elsewhere rather than bringing in another quarterback competing for the same development runway that Sanders and Gabriel are chasing.

A huge NFL scouting contingent went to see Oregon Dante Moore. He got outplayed by Drew Mestemaker, who finished with 317 passing yards, 2 TDs and 109 yards rushing and 1 TD. Plus the game sealing first down run. https://t.co/J9mzEELTvx
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 12, 2026

Moore is a talented arm, but he doesn't possess the immediate Day 1 upside that guys like Joe Burrow or Trevor Lawrence garnered.

He will have plenty of opportunities to change that narrative over the course of the year, but for now, the loss he suffered Saturday will cast a dark shadow over his draft stock.

Dante Moore is going to end up being the perfect example of why you ALWAYS declare for the draft when you’re guaranteed to be a top 2 pick

The difference in the #2 pick and #5 pick is 7 million dollars

And w/ this draft class he could be drafted quite a bit lower

Idc if it…
— RBT (@SamuelBrownRBT) September 12, 2026

The Browns still certainly need to find the quarterback who actually fits what they are trying to build.

And instead of looking to the college scene, they'll have a chance to look towards the gridiron in Jacksonville on Sunday.

At 1:00 p.m. EST, the Browns and Jaguars will open up the NFL regular season from EverBank Stadium, with Watson set to take the reins as Cleveland's offense gets its first opportunity to take the field this year

He'll look to end any doubt of who Cleveland's quarterback of the future is.

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