2015 NFL Draft: What if Marcus Mariota Falls?

The question of the hour: how much longer does

have as the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals? Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati Bengals

Draft Position: No. 21

Current Quarterback: Andy Dalton, 27 years old

Other Draft Needs: OL, DE, OLB, WR

The Cincinnati Bengals have made four consecutive postseason appearances—a franchise record—under quarterback Andy Dalton. Cincinnati has also gone 0-4 in the playoffs under Dalton.

If Marcus Mariota falls to No. 21, one has to imagine the Bengals will weigh their options.

Dalton gets less credit and more blame than he deserves, but an 0-4 record speaks for itself. He’s also coming off of a season in which he threw for 19 touchdowns to 17 interceptions—a 1.1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

That’s not good.

Mariota may not be Andrew Luck, but he has size and escapability to be a game-changer. With A.J. Green on the other end of his throws, the former Oregon Ducks star’s learning curve would decrease significantly.

It may be fun to make the negative comparison, but Mariota is not Akili Smith. He’s bigger, a better passer and a far more proven commodity.

There’s risk involved, but at No. 21, Mariota is nothing if not enticing.

Next: Up in the Air