When Dante Moore spurned the 2026 NFL draft, it was easy to joke about the Oregon quarterback ducking the New York Jets.
Moore was the consensus No. 2 quarterback behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The Hoosiers QB was set to become the No. 1 pick and an Oakland Raider (which ended up happening), and Moore was a heavy favorite to the Jets’ second overall.
You don’t have to be a devout NFL fan to know the Jets’ reputation.
New York has missed the playoffs for 15 years in a row. It has a new head coach after winning just three games in 2025. The Jets haven’t finished better than third in the AFC East since 2015, when Ryan Fitzpatrick was tossing touchdowns to Brandon Marshall. (Throwbacks, right?) And with the signing of 35-year-old Geno Smith this offseason, they’re on their 10th starting quarterback since drafting Garrett Wilson No. 10 overall just four years ago.
Tenth.
Count it: This is their 10th starting quarterback in four years.
Let that sink in.
By forgoing this year’s talent grab, Moore set himself up to potentially become a No. 1 QB on draft boards.
And, yes—he might have set himself up to avoid the poverty franchise that has become the J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS.
But here’s the thing …
Early 2027 Mock Drafts are out, and wouldn’t you know it, something looks familiar.
In ESPN’s first look, Moore lands with the Jets at No. 3 behind Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (Miami Dolphins, No. 2) and Texas QB Arch Manning (Arizona Cardinals, No. 1).
Bleacher Report’s draft scouts also have Moore to the Jets at No. 3. But they have him as the third-best quarterback behind Manning and Miami’s Darian Mensah.
At this point, the writing on the wall points to Moore as an elite QB prospect, just not No. 1 on anyone’s board. And it also points to the Jets, who, again, just signed Geno Smith to lead their offense, being bad, but not No. 1-pick bad.
If Moore intended to avoid New York, well, it might not work.
That said, if fate kicks in and a Big Apple journey is written in the stars, the Jets have at least one weapon in place ready to get (back) to work.
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is a Jet. New York selected the Second Team All-American and Big Ten Tight End of the Year at No. 16 overall, and the 6’3”, 245-pound rookie is primed to be TE1 as soon as he signs his first contract.
Moore and Sadiq had enough of a connection in 2025 for Sadiq to have a breakout year, but that’s underselling it. He also had one of the most productive seasons ever by an Oregon tight end.
Sadiq set a Ducks record at tight end with 51 catches. His eight touchdowns? That came in second all-time for Oregon behind only Justin Peelle’s nine-touchdown season in 2001—a year in which the Ducks went 11-1, finished No. 2 in the AP Poll, and were led by legendary quarterback and eventual No. 3 NFL pick, Joey Harrington.
Sadiq will take Year 1 to adjust to the physicality, pace, and speed of the NFL. But for what it’s worth, he just made NFL Combine history for a tight end, running a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash. And while his size may seem underwhelming as a potential blocker, that same size and athleticism will give him an advantage in the pass game.
Overall, if all of this feels too much like a “narrative” to sell Moore on the Jets—a little too predictable, even—blame the Football Gods. Moore tried to buy himself time to grow, boost his draft stock, and control his NFL destiny. But the early signs suggest fate may have other plans.
The Jets loom, Sadiq is already in place, and the connection that thrived in Eugene could be waiting to resurface on Sundays.
Sometimes, the path you try to avoid is the one you’re meant to take.
If that’s the case here, Moore and Sadiq won’t just reunite.
They’ll pick up right where they left off.
Be the first to comment