Jan. 14, 2026, 6:26 p.m. ET

The date for college underclassmen to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft arrived on Wednesday, with some big decisions looming. The most significant being Oregon redshirt sophomore quarterback Dante Moore.

Moore shocked the NFL draft community by announcing his intention to return to Oregon for the 2026 season. Moore was expected to be a likely top-five pick in April’s draft, coming in behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza as the No. 2-ranked quarterback.

“With this decision, mainly all my life has just been about being as most prepared as I can for any situation I go into,” Moore said, per ESPN. “And when it comes to me making my decision, I just want to do what’s best for my situation, especially as a quarterback.

“With my decision, it’s been very tough. I’ve prayed a lot about it, talked to many people — my mentors and people I look up to. With that being said, of course, I’ll be coming back to Oregon for one more year, being able to play for the Oregon Ducks and reach our goal and be national champions.”

Moore will join a 2027 quarterback class that’s expected to be loaded, featuring Arch Manning.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

While there were questions about Moore as a prospect, he was almost certainly going to be a top-five pick. Now that Moore is no longer in the draft, it makes things interesting for the remainder of the top 10, particularly from No. 2 on. Many draft analysts believe the Las Vegas Raiders will select Mendoza at No. 1 overall.

What does it mean for the Washington Commanders? Holding the seventh overall pick, the Commanders were hoping to see multiple quarterbacks go, which would have led to other top players, specifically defensive players, falling to them. That may still happen, but it’s far less certain now. Alabama’s Ty Simpson is expected to be the second quarterback on draft boards now, but there are many questions about him, too.

Here are the teams picking ahead of Washington:

Of those teams, the Raiders, Jets and Browns need a quarterback. The Cardinals still have Kyler Murray, but that could change once the next regime takes over. Washington has Jayden Daniels, so it does not need a quarterback. The Titans and Giants have Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart, respectively, so they’re not looking for a quarterback.

The Commanders badly need a dominant edge rusher. Picking seventh, there’s a chance that Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Miami’s Rueben Bain are gone before they are on the clock. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is considered by some to be the top overall player in this draft. What if he is gone, too?

These are nightmare scenarios for Washington. So what about trading down? There are problems with that. First, the Commanders should just “stick and pick” and land an elite defensive prospect. Secondly, you need a trade partner. What if teams below Washington don’t value a prospect enough to trade up?

There was a lot of talk about the Commanders winning that meaningless season finale over the Philadelphia Eagles. Had Washington lost, it would have picked No. 5 overall. The difference in those two picks is significant, especially when you consider Moore’s decision. Other teams not interested in a quarterback believed Moore would enter, pushing another good player down the board.