Dante Moore Staying At Oregon Negatively Impacts Saints

The New Orleans Saints are all set with their starting quarterback, but that doesn't mean that they were not slightly impacted by the biggest college football news of the day on Wednesday.

Wednesday was the deadline for players not in the National Championship to either declare for the National Football League Draft, or stay in school. Dante Moore, the expected No. 2 quarterback in the draft class, opted to stay in school and remain at Oregon, as shared on X by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

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"Oregon quarterback Dante Moore said he has decided to return to school for the 2026 season, forgoing a chance to be a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. His decision is expected to have significant ramifications on the draft," Schefter wrote on X.

The Saints have a bit more competition

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws a pass during the fourth quarter the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

If you're a Saints fan, the first response is something along the lines of, 'Why does Moore impact the Saints if the team has Tyler Shough?' That would be a good question. Shough looked awesome down the stretch and is the team's quarterback moving forward. Moore's decision impacts the Saints because now there will be one less non-quarterback prospect on the board when the Saints are on the clock with the No. 8 pick. With a few quarterback-needy teams ahead of the Saints, including the New York Jets at no. 2, the expectation has been that Fernando Mendoza would go No. 1 and Moore likely at No. 2.

In that scenario, five non-quarterback picks would come off the board before the Saints. Now, that number will seemingly be six. CBS Sports had Mendoza and Moore as the top two prospects in the draft class. After that, edge Rueben Bain Jr., wide receivers Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate, linebacker Arvell Reese, and offensive linemen Trevor Goosby and Spencer Fano as the top eight prospects. After that, they have safety Caleb Downs at No. 9, defensive tackle Peter Woods at No.10, and cornerback Jermod McCoy at No. 11.

With Moore off the market, that means that another one of these non-quarterbacks likely will be off the market before the Saints pick at No. 8. In a perfect world, someone like Tyson, Tate, Reese, Woods, or Downs would be available. Now, there's a bit more competition.

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