Does Dante Moore’s decision to stay at Oregon affect the Raiders?

We might never know what drove quarterback Dante Moore’s decision to remain at Oregon rather than declare for the NFL draft.

But one thing is clear: The Las Vegas Raiders, in desperate need of a franchise-altering quarterback, dodged a bullet by securing the No. 1 pick, which they are expected to use to select Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.

Moore announced his decision Wednesday, the deadline for underclassmen not playing in the College Football Playoff championship game to declare for the draft. He seemed destined to be the No. 2 overall pick by the New York Jets.

Here’s where it gets a little dicey. Did Moore decide to stay in college to get another year of development? Or is he trying to avoid being selected by the Jets, whose spotty track record of mismanaging highly drafted quarterbacks would make any prospect think twice about playing in New York?

If it’s the former, consider the Raiders fortunate to have won a four-way tiebreaker for the No. 1 pick.

The Raiders’ 3-14 record was the same as the Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. They secured the No. 1 pick because their strength of schedule was the worst of the four.

Had the Raiders ended up with the second pick — and Moore made the same decision to stay at Oregon — they most likely would not have taken a quarterback, assuming Mendoza was drafted at No. 1.

Mendoza, who led Indiana to a 56-22 victory over Oregon in the CFP semifinals, has until Jan. 23 to declare for the draft.

The Hoosiers will play Miami (Florida) in Monday’s championship game. Mendoza is expected to announce that he will enter the draft soon after.

Moore’s inexperience

It’s fascinating to wonder whether Moore would have declared for the draft if the Raiders had the No. 2 pick.

The 20-year-old threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns this season, but with only 20 career starts, there were concerns about his chance to start as a rookie.

It also didn’t help Moore that Mendoza has been spectacular all season and passed Moore as the top quarterback prospect. Had the reverse happened, Moore might have made a different decision.

It’s all a moot point for the Raiders, though. As long as Mendoza declares for the draft, they are in position to finally land a potentially franchise-altering quarterback.

Moore began his college career at UCLA, but left after one season to sign with Oregon. He backed up Dillon Gabriel last season before taking over when Gabriel left for the NFL.

“When it comes to me just making my decision, of course I want to feel most prepared and what’s best for my situation, especially as a quarterback,” Moore said. “And with my decision, it’s been very tough. I talked to many people, my mentors, and people I just look up to.”

Oregon coach Dan Lanning said after the Indiana loss that he hoped Moore would return.

“Dante has been exceptional,” Lanning said. “It’s gone right for us 13 times. It didn’t go right tonight. You can’t let that overshadow (the season). Every one of us has unbelievable disappointment. Learn from it.”

Moore’s decision comes after former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola announced he was transferring to Oregon.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.