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Nfl Mock Draft Sorting Through Fernando Mendoza Vs Dante Moore At No 1

Bonisiwe Shabane
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nfl mock draft sorting through fernando mendoza vs dante moore at no 1

For 18 NFL teams, the focus turned from in-season to the offseason at the end of Week 18. The 2026 NFL draft is in 15 weeks, beginning on April 23 in Pittsburgh with the first round. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (if he enters) are wildly expected to be contenders for the top selection. But the depth of this draft is on defense. There could be as many as four edge rushers selected in the top 10, along with a handful of defensive backs and off-ball linebackers. Tennessee will pick fourth, behind three teams with quarterback questions.

That's good news for GM Mike Borgonzi. With the transfer policy and NIL revenue encouraging players to maximize their college eligibility, the 2026 NFL Draft lacks the bonanza of high-end talent we’ve seen in previous years. That said, there are plenty of future NFL starters — and even stars — at every position available. Like always, the organizations whose scouting and coaching departments are aligned will likely improve their rosters the most with their selections between April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. But therein lies the cold reality. Many of the teams whose seasons just ended are facing massive decisions within their coaching and scouting departments.

The Falcons just dismissed their head coach and general manager and personnel changes are expected elsewhere in the coming days, which will cause ripple effects throughout the league. There's still much to sort out, but the conclusion of the NFL’s regular season Sunday night locked in the selection order for the first 18 picks of the draft. And with the player pool clarifying each day as the college season finishes, we are now on the cusp of "draft season." With that, here's our latest 2026 mock draft. It promises to be a fascinating offseason in Las Vegas, where Geno Smith's future is up in the air after head coach Pete Carroll was fired. Regardless of whether the Raiders bring back Smith, getting a fresh face at the game’s most important position is critical to keeping the fan base believing. Mendoza has looked every bit the No.

1 overall pick in earning the Heisman Trophy and guiding Indiana to a possible national championship. Mendoza’s physical traits — a prototypical frame, lightning-quick release, pocket mobility and accuracy to all levels of the field — warrant a first round selection, but it's his decision-making and poise that has turned... The Las Vegas Raiders are officially on the clock and the first 18 slots for the 2026 NFL draft are set. The Jets follow the Raiders, and both teams are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore are the top two quarterbacks in this class (as of now), with Alabama’s Ty Simpson also likely to garner consideration in the first round. My best guess is Simpson returns to school for more seasoning.

He may even transfer to Tennessee, which is closer to home and was his original plan before Nick Saban came calling for the Crimson Tide in early 2021. I’m also thinking this means Moore ends up declaring after the Ducks’ season ends, considering he’s almost guaranteed to be selected within the first two picks. For 18 NFL teams, the focus turned from in-season to the offseason at the end of Week 18. The 2026 NFL draft is in 15 weeks, beginning on April 23 in Pittsburgh with the first round. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (if he enters) are wildly expected to be contenders for the top selection. But the depth of this draft is on defense.

There could be as many as four edge rushers selected in the top 10, along with a handful of defensive backs and off-ball linebackers. Tennessee will pick fourth, behind three teams with quarterback questions. That's good news for GM Mike Borgonzi. Dante Moore has completed a combined 45 of 60 passes for 547 yards in Oregon's two Playoff wins. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Several potential top-20 prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft are still busy with the College Football Playoff, so NFL front offices will have to wait a little longer to find...

With the transfer policy and NIL revenue encouraging players to maximize their college eligibility, the 2026 NFL Draft lacks the bonanza of high-end talent we’ve seen in previous years. That said, there are plenty of future NFL starters — and even stars — at every position available. Like always, the organizations whose scouting and coaching departments are aligned will likely improve their rosters the most with their selections between April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. But therein lies the cold reality. Many of the teams whose seasons just ended are facing massive decisions within their coaching and scouting departments. The Falcons just dismissed their head coach and general manager and personnel changes are expected elsewhere in the coming days, which will cause ripple effects throughout the league.

There's still much to sort out, but the conclusion of the NFL’s regular season Sunday night locked in the selection order for the first 18 picks of the draft. And with the player pool clarifying each day as the college season finishes, we are now on the cusp of "draft season." With that, here's our latest 2026 mock draft. It promises to be a fascinating offseason in Las Vegas, where Geno Smith's future is up in the air after head coach Pete Carroll was fired. Regardless of whether the Raiders bring back Smith, getting a fresh face at the game’s most important position is critical to keeping the fan base believing. Mendoza has looked every bit the No. 1 overall pick in earning the Heisman Trophy and guiding Indiana to a possible national championship.

Mendoza’s physical traits — a prototypical frame, lightning-quick release, pocket mobility and accuracy to all levels of the field — warrant a first round selection, but it's his decision-making and poise that has turned... The immediate concern for Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore is the Peach Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal on Friday. Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, leads No. 1 Indiana against No. 5 Oregon, which is guided by Moore. This matchup could also play a role in determining which player is picked No.

1 in the 2026 NFL Draft. Moore and Mendoza are considered to the top quarterback prospects, and QBs are the most coveted players by NFL teams. Here's what you should know about the matchup and what NFL mock drafts say about it. Indiana beat host Oregon 30-20 on Oct. 11. Want more Hoosiers coverage?

Sign up for IndyStar's Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers. With only two games left before a national champion is crowned, the College Football Playoff Semifinals deliver a headline matchup that transcends wins and losses. When Indiana and Oregon meet again, the spotlight won’t just be on schemes or star receivers, it will be firmly fixed on the two quarterbacks at the center of it all. Fernando Mendoza vs.

Dante Moore isn’t just a rematch. It’s a referendum on the future of the 2026 NFL Draft. Both quarterbacks have been elite this season, and many evaluators already view them as the two best quarterback prospects in college football. Now, with a trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship on the line, this semifinal matchup becomes “good on good” at the highest level, two premier signal-callers, two elite defenses, and a chance... The Las Vegas Raiders are officially on the clock and the first 18 slots for the 2026 NFL draft are set. The Jets follow the Raiders, and both teams are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback.

Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore are the top two quarterbacks in this class (as of now), with Alabama’s Ty Simpson also likely to garner consideration in the first round. My best guess is Simpson returns to school for more seasoning. He may even transfer to Tennessee, which is closer to home and was his original plan before Nick Saban came calling for the Crimson Tide in early 2021. I’m also thinking this means Moore ends up declaring after the Ducks’ season ends, considering he’s almost guaranteed to be selected within the first two picks. With the 2025 NFL regular season now officially in the books, the top of the order of the 2026 draft is locked into place. For fans of the teams that failed to book a postseason trip, the focus shifts to the future—and the offseason moves that could change their teams’ fortunes.

The draft is the best way for bad teams to rebuild. The draft represents hope. Every player that’s picked in the first round could be the catalyst of a new era of success for the team that takes him. It’s still really early in the draft process, and a handful of the biggest names in draft conversations right now could still decide to return to school for another year. But that’s not going to stop me from building my first mock draft of the season. Using the current draft order via Tankathon, let’s dig into what the first round could look like.

The Geno Smith experiment has not gone as the Raiders had hoped, leaving Las Vegas with a massive need at the most important position in sports. The team addresses that hole here, taking a polished and steely signal caller in Mendoza. The Hoosiers star and Heisman winner is an accurate rhythm passer who helped elevate the Indiana football program to new heights. The Raiders surely hope that Mendoza can do that with their franchise as well. The Jets haven’t exactly had the best luck at picking quarterbacks for, well, forever, but that doesn’t mean they should stop trying. New York grabs a talented passer here in Moore, who throws with good zip and accuracy both from the pocket and on the run.

Moore has a limited number of college starts (19 between his time at Oregon and UCLA), but he’s an ascending playmaker with the tools to develop into a franchise quarterback. The Cardinals have holes all over the roster, so they can go in pretty much any direction with this pick. They make a prudent choice in bolstering the offensive line here, grabbing a potential bookend tackle in Fano to pair with 2023 first-rounder Paris Johnson Jr. Fano has experience starting at both tackle spots, but Arizona could drop him on the right side from day one. There’s no telling what the Cardinals will do at quarterback going forward, but whatever path they take, it’ll help to have some quality blocking up front. Dante Moore has completed a combined 45 of 60 passes for 547 yards in Oregon's two Playoff wins.

Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Several potential top-20 prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft are still busy with the College Football Playoff, so NFL front offices will have to wait a little longer to find exactly who’s going to... Will Oregon QB Dante Moore and Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza join the ’26 draft class? (TCU quarterback Josh Hoover announcing his transfer to Indiana probably gives us a hint at the latter’s decision.) Are both of Miami’s standout underclassmen, Francis Mauigoa and Rueben Bain Jr., going to take the... Could Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss shake up the entire quarterback group?

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