Mock drafts at this point of the season change almost weekly. One bad game can drop a prospect down the board, and one strong month can send him right back up. That is especially true at quarterback, where every throw gets studied and every team in need is looking for the answer. For the Browns, the latest projection lands on a quarterback whose stock has already been on a roller coaster.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report released the Scouting Department’s updated 2027 mock draft after the trade deadline, and he had the Browns taking Oregon’s Dante Moore at No. 16.
“From a draft perspective, he should have declared for this past cycle and likely been a top-five draft pick. Instead, he returned to Oregon and hurt his stock due to inconsistent play to start the season before suffering a significant concussion to end his campaign. However, those same traits that were apparent last year haven’t gone away, which is why the Cleveland Browns take a swing for the fences here in an attempt to finally solve the franchise’s quarterback problem,” Sobleski wrote.
Moore’s 2025 season is the reason he was viewed as a likely top 5 pick. The Detroit native completed 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games for the Ducks. That came after he began his college career at UCLA as a freshman and spent a season as a backup at Oregon.
His 2026 season was short but productive in spots. Moore threw for 926 yards, 9 touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 69.7% of his passes in 4 games. He opened with 378 yards and 3 touchdowns against Boise State, then threw for 280 yards and 4 scores against Portland State.
The inconsistency Sobleski mentioned showed up in a loss at Oklahoma State. Moore completed just 14 of 29 passes and was sacked 4 times, posting a 22.2 QBR. His season ended after the win at USC, when he suffered the concussion.
Moore is a natural passer with strong accuracy and ball placement from the pocket. Scouts also praise his poise in big moments and how well his eyes, feet and mechanics work together, and they believe the 6 foot 3, 220 pound quarterback could start as a rookie.
The risk is just as clear. Teams will dig deep into his medical reports and his film before investing a 1st-round pick.
If Moore returns to his 2025 form, the Browns could land a quarterback in the middle of the 1st round who once projected as a top 5 talent. For a team that is 5-4 and not on pace to pick near the top, that kind of value may be the best path to a franchise quarterback.
The scouts also considered South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers and Alabama edge rusher Yhonzae Pierre at the pick. The mock had 6 quarterbacks going in the 1st round, a big shift from the previous version.
The Browns hold 2 1st-round picks and 11 selections overall next year. Deshaun Watson starts Sunday against the Houston Texans in the final year of his contract, and Shedeur Sanders made his case last week in New Orleans. Moore is now one more name for Browns fans to watch.
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