rewrite this title NFL Draft intel: How CFP could impact Dante Moore’s draft decision

Each week, Yardbarker monitors the 2026 NFL Draft, scheduled April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. 

We’re answering the biggest questions about the draft. With that in mind, here are five.

Is Oregon QB Dante Moore NFL-ready?

Moore (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) was reportedly planning to stay in school after the 2025 season, but he may change his plans.

“For much of the season, the feedback from NFL scouts was that Moore was headed back to school,” wrote The Athletic’s Dane Brugler in a story published Sunday. “But that started to shift over the second half of the year, and the impending departure of offensive coordinator Will Stein (who’s staying on the Ducks’ sideline for the playoff before exiting for the Kentucky head-coaching job) was considered a needle-mover.”

Through 13 games, Moore ranks 11th in the FBS in QBR (80.3) and is tied for seventh in touchdown passes (28). While talented, he has made 18 starts in three seasons at UCLA and Oregon, below the preferred number for NFL teams. Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells required his prospects to have started at least 30 games. 

Moore’s play in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day against Texas Tech at noon ET (ESPN) bears watching. The Red Raiders rank third in the FBS in points allowed (10.9). Shredding the unit would signal the 20-year-old QB is ready to turn pro.

Did Miami DE Rueben Bain Jr.’s dominant first-round CFP performance silence critics?

Tankathon’s latest mock draft has the Tennessee Titans taking Bain (6-foot-3, 275 pounds) with pick No. 5, but not everyone is a fan of the pass-rusher. 

“Last week, I finished my regular-season eval on Miami edge-rusher Rueben Bain Jr., and it was underwhelming … compared to expectations,” wrote Brugler before Miami’s first-round CFP matchup against Texas A&M. “After checking with a few scouts around the league, I realized I wasn’t the only one conflicted over the Miami pass-rusher — several teams currently have Day 2 grades on him.” 

Perhaps those teams changed their grades after watching Bain dismantle Texas A&M’s offensive line in the first round of the CFP. In the 10-3 Hurricanes win, the DE logged a season-high three sacks. Aggies offensive tackle Trey Zuhn III shouldn’t have given Bain bulletin-board material. Before the game, Zuhn said the DE wouldn’t be a “threat,” which proved incorrect.

Another strong performance against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) would show that Bain isn’t overhyped.

Is Rueben Bain Jr. the only Miami defender who’s generating buzz? 

Bain has gotten the most attention from scouts, but defensive back Keionte Scott (6-foot, 192 pounds) is a name worth remembering. After missing three games with a right foot injury, the DB returned against Texas A&M, logging 10 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. 

“Watching it in real time, the Miami defense was impressive against Texas A&M, but even more so on tape,” wrote ESPN’s Jordan Reid on X. “Getting Keionte Scott back was so big. His energy, hustle and physicality are infectious throughout that unit. Excellent nickel corner.”

Scott lacks the ideal size for an NFL corner, which may prevent him from going in the first round. Denver Broncos star cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the ninth pick of the 2021 draft, is listed at 6-foot-2, 202 pounds. 

The team that selects Scott could have him play nickelback, a role that suits him. A nickelback is a third cornerback who replaces a linebacker in certain formations because they’re better in pass coverage.

What does Alabama WR Germie Bernard need to do to improve his stock? 

In Alabama’s 34-24 win over Oklahoma in the first round of the CFP, Bernard made a ridiculous contested catch in the fourth quarter. Despite that, Pro Football Focus/Bleacher Report contributor Trevor Sikkema gave Bernard a stock down on his weekly livestream.