Tennessee Titans: Making the case for Marcus Mariota

By Luis Tirado Jr. | Mar 15, 2015

While most mock drafts on the internet, including here at the NFL Spin Zone have the Tennessee Titans going with defensive end Leonard Williams being drafted with their No. 2 overall pick, I beg to differ. While I believe Williams will be an extraordinary defensive talent once he transitions into the pros, the NFL these days is all about great franchise quarterbacks that makes everyone around them better. While Williams would indeed make a difference on defense, I honestly feel drafting quarterback Marcus Mariota is truly the way to go if the Titans want to reach perennial success for years to come.

In my own mock draft, I easily have the Titans draft Mariota since he’s a work in progress kind of athlete but once he hits his stride, he will be one of the best to hit the NFL in quite some time. Don’t get me wrong, I like quarterback Zach Mettenberger but don’t feel he’s really a true long-term solution for the Titans as a starting quarterback.

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Of course it might be too early to tell just how Mettenberger will pan out over time but the Titans have a great opportunity if they play their cards right to really secure one of the best quarterbacks coming out of the draft. I don’t believe Mariota can flat out start at quarterback once he arrives in the NFL as he’ll need time to develop before taking off.

With the right training, development and guidance, Mariota could be unleashed and truly take the NFL by storm in about a year or two from now. Considering that Jake Locker retired and Mettenberger’s only competition at this moment is just Charlie Whitehurst, I see no reason why the Titans wouldn’t lock up Mariota for the future.

Should the Titans go the route of Mariota, they should effectively give him a year or two off and have him develop from the sidelines. I’ve always believed the best quarterbacks are the ones that are properly trained and developed towards success for a few years before they actually are deemed a starter.

Look at players like Tom Brady, Steve Young and even Aaron Rodgers that benefited from having been developed the right way by learning everything they can before being thrown to the wolves. Before them, guys like Drew Bledsoe, Joe Montana and Brett Favre all took their time with them respectively.

Now, the Titans have a veteran quarterback presence in Whitehurst and great coaching can also get the job done nicely. There is no way the Titans can be confident in that their franchise quarterback is already on the roster since quite honestly, he isn’t.

Mettenberger showed signs of being decent but ultimately needs a ton of work. Mariota is already ahead of the curve due to his high football IQ and ability to make big plays while being consistent in his execution. If Mariota had time working under a pro offense in college, then there is no question he is a much better option to start than Mettenberger.

Nov 30, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger (7) throws in the pocket against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately since he’s only use to a no-huddle spread offense, Mariota is under the curve and in that aspect, the Titans will have to stick with Mettenberger under center for at least another year or so. That is of course, until Mariota is developed enough to really start making some noise which I’m sure wouldn’t take more than a year.

Overall, if the Titans want to reach the levels of contention like the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers or even the Seattle Seahawks for example, they absolutely must get their hands on a true franchise quarterback like Mariota. That way, they can start building the pieces around him now so in the future, there is no telling how far this franchise could go with Mariota leading the charge.

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