The Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The franchise was one of four teams that finished the year with a 3-14 mark, however, their .538 strength of schedule was the worst of those teams, giving them the top selection.
Raider Nation should feel very fortunate that they were able to secure the first pick of the draft, as it appears there may be a bigger gap between the top quarterbacks than the country originally thought. While 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza had a massive performance in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Dante Moore did little to help the Oregon Ducks in their 56-22 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers.
Although he had a great season, he was unable to replicate that success on Friday. His struggles in the big moment show that the young quarterback may need another year of collegiate development before making the jump to the NFL.
Raiders should feel fortunate to pick first following Dante Moore's Peach Bowl struggles
Moore was having a great season coming into the Peach Bowl, as he had thrown for 3,280 yards, 28 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He had completed 72.9% of his pass attempts, while adding 184 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 68 carries.
While he did not throw for any touchdowns and threw an interception against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl, he completed nearly 80% of his passes and did enough to lead the Ducks to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Moore struggled tremendously on Friday, however, as he turned the ball over three times in the first half, including a pick-six on the opening play of the game, helping contribute to his team's 35-7 halftime deficit.
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Entering the matchup, many believed that the Ducks quarterback had more upside than Mendoza and should be the Raiders' pick to open the draft. While he would still likely be the second quarterback off the board in a year where there aren't many first-round options at the position, Moore's struggles in the big moment showed that he may be better off staying an extra year in college.
The Peach Bowl was just the 20th start of his college career, and he may simply need more experience. Additionally, Oregon would likely give him a massive NIL deal, which would make up for the money he misses out on by not entering the NFL. Moore's focus should be on being as well-prepared as possible for when he enters the NFL, to ensure that he gets a huge contract after his rookie deal.
Either way, his struggles to protect the ball made the Raiders' choice at the top of the draft much easier. Despite predictions that they would choose between the two Peach Bowl quarterbacks, the way things played out makes it clear that Mendoza should be the pick.