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What Dante Moore's NFL draft decision means for Tennessee Titans
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- What Dante Moore's NFL draft decision means for Tennessee Titans
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore , who was projected to be a contender to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, announced on Jan. 14 that he will be staying in school for another year, a decision that has significant ramifications for the Tennessee Titans .
The Titans own the No. 4 pick in April's draft. With two quarterback-needy teams at the top of the draft order ― the Las Vegas Raiders pick first and the New York Jets pick second ― Moore and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza were the odds-on favorites to be selected No. 1 and No. 2.
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That left the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 as the only team sitting between the Titans and their pick of all the non-quarterbacks in the class. That list includes pass rushers like Ohio State's Arvell Reese, Texas Tech's David Bailey and Miami 's Rueben Bain Jr., as well as receivers like Ohio State's Carnell Tate and Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson.
It's possible that the Jets' need for a quarterback could outweigh talent grades, and that could vault a prospect like Alabama's Ty Simpson into the No. 2 slot without affecting the Titans ' talent pool. There are also quarterback prospects like LSU's Garrett Nussmeier , Clemson's Cade Klubnik , Penn State's Drew Allar and Miami's Carson Beck who've been thought of as top prospects in the past, and ascendant Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss if he's unable to get an extra year of college eligibility. But none of those prospects are thought of in the same tier as Mendoza and Moore.
The good news for the Titans, if there is any, is the diversity of options at some of the Titans' biggest areas of need. In addition to Bain, Reese and Bailey, pass rushers like Auburn's Keldric Faulk and Texas A&M's Cashius Howell are considered first-round talents. Cornerbacks Mansoor Delane (LSU), Jermod McCoy (Tennessee) and Avieon Terrell (Clemson) are also early-to-mid first-round options.
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Receiver is a little thinner. After Tyson and Tate, the next option is likely USC's Makai Lemon. But some of the intriguing options at offensive tackle (Miami's Francis Mauigoa, Utah's Spencer Fano) could be enticing enough to draw trade partners into conversation.
More quarterbacks going in the top three is better for the Titans. Moore staying in college obviously dings that possibility. But the Titans will still be in position to draft at least one top-five talent in a position of need even if Mendoza is the only quarterback drafted in the top three.
This decision hurts some of the Titans' bargaining power, but it doesn't dramatically reorganize what the Titans will be capable of in the draft.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com . Follow Nick on X @nicksuss . Subscribe to the Talkin' Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Dante Moore's NFL draft decision changes Titans big board, trade plans
