The Las Vegas Raiders decide that a higher ceiling is the better option with the No. 1 pick, though that’ll require some patience. Unfortunately, the latter might end up testing Raider Nation, as they want a quicker turnaround.
We get it; Raiders fans have had enough of short-term “fixes” that actually end up hurting their team more. Since jettisoning Derek Carr, it’s been an endless list of quarterbacks that, simply put, stink. It doesn’t help, however, that the offensive line was a complete disaster this season under Brennan Carroll. Still, you need to start somewhere. You could go with a signal-caller that’ll sit behind a veteran for a year, rebuild the offensive line, and then hand over the reins.
The question is, who should be that quarterback?
Round 1: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Dante Moore is the kind of quarterback prospect who dares a franchise to decide what it actually believes about development.
The Raiders can talk themselves into him easily. He looks the part, the ball comes out clean when the picture is clear, and there are stretches where his poise makes you forget he’s still early in his starting résumé. If you’re a front office tired of renting quarterbacks by the season, Moore represents something simple and seductive: a chance to stop patching holes and start building around one name.
Then reality taps the brakes—hard.
If “short passing consistency remains a problem,” that is not a minor nit in today’s NFL. Quick game is the foundation. Slants, bubbles and fast answers are how teams stay on schedule, punish blitzes and keep a young quarterback upright. Struggling with timing and accuracy on throws that require “instantaneous ball delivery” is not just a box score issue. It is an identity issue.
Should the Raiders be wary of Moore?
Moore does not bring the easy outs that modern coordinators love. His rushing ability offers virtually zero designed run threat, and that shrinks the menu in short-yardage situations. That matters for a Raiders team that has lived too often in third-and-long, asking quarterbacks to be perfect when nothing else is. If he cannot steal cheap yards with his legs, everything has to be cleaner—protection, separation, play-calling, and his own processing.
The durability and athletic questions are even more uncomfortable. A frame that raises concerns, plus athletic limitations when plays break down, creates a familiar picture: a quarterback who needs structure to thrive on a team that has struggled to provide it. That is the part fans should not ignore while arguing, “Take the QB, any QB.” If Moore is at his best inside the script, the Raiders must be honest about whether they can keep the script intact for 17 games.
The pressure issue is the clincher. His decision-making can regress when the pocket caves, with mechanics going erratic and throws coming from an unbalanced base. That is not just a quarterback flaw. That is how turnovers and broken confidence happen.
So here’s the debate: Is Moore the prospect you draft because you believe you can finally build a stable environment—or is he the prospect who exposes, brutally, that the Raiders still cannot? Drafting him could be a franchise reset. It could also be a franchise mirror.
*Top Photo: Getty Images