Marcus Mariota ‘freakishly smart’

Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota will most likely be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, because even if the Oakland Raiders remain the worst team in the NFL by record, they would almost certainly trade out of the number one spot. Unlike last year, I’m sure they’d find plenty of people willing to move up for Mariota, who is the consensus No. 1 QB in the draft class. That might not have been the case if Jameis Winston didn’t have such huge character concerns, but I think Mariota is a better quarterback prospect than Winston anyway.

Teams like the Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams, and New York Jets are fully expected to take a quarterback high in next year’s draft, so there are no shortage of landing spots for Mariota, who has excellent physical tools and has also displayed some sharp decision-making skills.

Ducks offensive coordinator Scott Frost told ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg that  his star QB is “freakishly smart” and stated that his interceptions mainly come when he is pressured, “He’s freakishly smart, especially when it comes to football. He sees things and processes things so quickly that he just doesn’t make a ton of mistakes.”

Oregon quarterbacks have found it difficult to transition to a pro-style offense, but I don’t anticipate that being a problem for Mariota. Like Derek Carr last season, his qualities can transcend scheme fits, and I think he is a malleable quarterback who has sufficient FBI to adjust to an NFL offense. His decision-making has consistently improved throughout his time in college, though he does need to work on keeping his eyes downfield when the pocket collapses. Like most rookie quarterbacks, Mariota will likely struggle significantly with pressure, but I’m not worried about his ability to adjust.