By Scott Anderson
Marcus Mariota has decided to forgo his final year of eligibility at Oregon, and declared for the NFL Draft. The heisman winning quarterback set a Pac-12 Conference record with 58 total touchdowns (42 passing, 15 rushing, and one receiving) this season, is one of the top overall prospects in this draft class and will be competing with Florida State QB Jameis Winston to be the first quarterback off the board. Along with the Heisman, Mariota was named the AP’s Player of the Year, and the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year among his many other awards.
The draft’s consensus top passer, Mariota’s skill set, character and projected upside is what makes him the odds on favorite to be the top pick in the draft. His velocity, foot speed and decision-making is what has NFL teams generally excited, but he’s not without concerns. His deep ball accuracy has improved this year, but concerns over his offense’s role in his success will lead to sharp development needs once he reaches the NFL. With more spot throws and pre-determined reads in the offense, along with defenses being always threatened by the read-option, Mariota’s vision and control of an NFL-level offense may be met with some issues in the draft process and as a rookie. With this draft class thin on top tier quarterbacks, it’s highly unlikely that Mariota falls out of the top 5.
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