Jets being painted as a draft nightmare for Dante Moore is lazy nonsense

Many New York Jets fans are excited about the possibility of reversing decades of poor quarterback play by selecting Oregon gunslinger Dante Moore in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the national media seems to be demanding that Moore return to Eugene for one more year so the Jets can't improve from their 3-14 stupor.

ESPN talking heads like Stephen A. Smith and Louis Riddick, alongside draft analyst Todd McShay, took turns calling the Jets "horrible" (in Smith's words) and implying that Moore should refuse to be drafted by a team that has been so historically inept.

While Riddick (missed out on a Jets front office position) and McShay (best friends with ex-GM Joe Douglas) can be written off as sour grapes, Smith is just being deliberately antagonistic and choosing to ignore the half-dozen other "horrible" teams at the top of the Draft.

Stephen A. Smith says Dante Moore should refuse to play for Jets

Moore and Fernando Mendoza should avoid the Jets, but a Las Vegas Raiders franchise that hasn't won a playoff game since 2002, has the worst offensive line in the league, and has burned through six head coaches in six years is the picture of stability these guys should strive for?

Are the Arizona Cardinals, who hold the No. 3 pick, a noted quarterback factory that is not a mess? How about the Cleveland Browns, who again need a quarterback after winning eight games in two seasons and saddling themselves with the Deshaun Watson contract? What about the Giants, who have been equally as inept as the Jets lately?

Of the teams picking near the top of the NFL Draft, the Jets may actually be a better situation for Moore than most other teams. The strength of the team is an above-average offensive line, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall are still in town, and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand is well-regarded.

One of the few franchises on the Jets' level of ineptitude is the Cincinnati Bengals, but they seem to have righted the ship after drafting Joe Burrow. The same goes for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, and Washington Commanders after adding Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels.

According to Smith, McShay, and Riddick, the Jets shouldn't even try to get better players, as they should wallow in their failures while letting game-changers bypass them. If Moore goes back to school, it won't be the result of that green and white jersey scaring him.