As many quarterback-starved New York Jets fans continue fixating on the team’s quest to tank for the first overall pick (a slot they can attain by the end of today), it is starting to look like the Jets might not need the top selection after all.

Day after day, it’s looking more likely that there will be three quarterback prospects worthy of being selected in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL draft. If these trends hold, the Jets won’t necessarily have to pick first overall to land a quarterback prospect with legitimate “franchise savior” potential.

Another potential Jets QB lights up the College Football Playoff

On Friday, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson impressed in his team’s College Football Playoff victory over the Oklahoma Sooners. Currently ranked as the consensus QB3 and No. 11 overall prospect at NFL Mock Draft Database, Simpson’s performance raised his draft stock as he mulls his decision of whether to declare.

Then, on Saturday night, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore followed in Simpson’s footsteps.

Moore, the consensus QB2 and No. 3 overall prospect, was dominant in the Ducks’ 51-34 victory over James Madison. In the first-round CFP win, Moore completed 19 of 27 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns while adding a five-yard rushing touchdown. Moore did throw two interceptions, although one was due to his receiver falling down.

Granted, the performance came against relatively low-level competition, as James Madison hails from the Sun Belt Conference. Nonetheless, Moore’s execution was near-perfect.

The 20-year-old signal-caller earned a 99.1 QBR, tying his season-high. He also earned a 90.4 overall grade from PFF, his fourth-best mark of the year. For a player who has the nation’s 11th-highest QBR (80.4) and second-highest PFF grade (92.5) among FBS quarterbacks, it says a lot that Saturday’s performance was one of the best we’ve seen from the Ducks’ star.

There is speculation that Moore, who is still only a redshirt sophomore, could return to Oregon. However, with performances like this, it becomes increasingly likely that Moore seizes the opportunity to be an early first-round pick in the NFL draft.

As one of the best passers in college football at the ripe age of 20, Moore is an appealing prospect for quarterback-needy teams like the Jets. His blend of production and potential is precisely what teams covet in early-first-round quarterbacks.

For the Jets, Moore and Simpson’s electric weekend in the CFP is auspicious news. The more talented quarterbacks available in the 2026 draft, the better.

While some Jets fans will continue rooting for their idea of a perfect world, featuring the Jets picking first overall and selecting their franchise savior, the reality is that the Jets need a lot of help to ascend from their No. 5 slot in the draft. The players will continue trying to win, regardless.

Due to the uncertainty of where the Jets will land in the draft, New York’s future would benefit from having as strong a quarterback buffer as possible. As Moore and Simpson continue thriving, it becomes likelier and likelier that both will declare, and that the Jets will value either of them highly enough to target them early in the first round.

Moore and the fifth-seeded Ducks will continue their quest for a national title in the Orange Bowl (Jan. 1, 12 p.m. EST), where they will meet fourth-seeded Texas Tech. Meanwhile, Simpson will go head-to-head against consensus QB1 Fernando Mendoza in the Rose Bowl (Jan 1, 4 p.m. EST), where the undefeated Hoosiers await.