Marcus Mariota: Most likely team to draft him?

What NFL team will land quarterback Marcus Mariota in the draft? Lots of contenders, but only one franchise will be forever altered. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.

TODD:

All month long, we’ve been focusing on NFL teams and who they will/should draft at their respective draft slots this Thursday evening in round one. Now, it’s time to take a reverse approach with one big name. That is quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Mariota is widely considered the second-best QB in this draft class. He is often mocked as going second overall because of this. However, it is no sure thing that he will be picked there or that Tennessee will select the Oregon product at two. It is also not guaranteed that the Titans will even be the squad picking second when the time comes.

So with that, who is the likeliest team to end up with the QB prize of Mariota?

A) Tennessee Titans
B) New York Jets
C) Cleveland Browns
D) San Diego Chargers
E) Philadelphia Eagles
F) The Field

We’re blowing this one out as far as options go because the possibilities are endless. The Titans have a quarterback whose upside and future are not yet known. The Jets and Browns both have big needs at the position but may need to trade up to acquire Mariota or may have other needs they feel are more important to fill in round one.

Then there are the teams picking late who have been rumored to desire Mariota. San Diego may be looking to dump Phillip Rivers, and that is a piece who could help them move up into the top three. Likewise, Philadelphia has long been attached to the Oregon QB because of Chip Kelly’s past. But would they have enough to move up that far, and would they want to after trading for Sam Bradford?

Or is there a dark horse ready to pounce on this…maybe even Tampa Bay?

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell poses with the draft prospects in attendance before the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

DAN:

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For the sake of history, I hope both Mariota and Jameis Winston pan out into top-level NFL quarterbacks a la the Philip Rivers and Eli Manning draft of 2004. There was a fight and a swap of top quarterbacks that year, with both worth the price of admission.

The Buccaneers are going to pick a quarterback with their number one pick, I’m 99% sure of that.Two things ignite the evil comedian in me, both having to do with Tampa Bay. The statisticians tell us that only one of two top quarterbacks will pan out. I’m firmly against them this particular year, but if only Winston or Mariota pan out, then Tampa holds all the cards.

Picking Winston and having him become great, with Mariota being average, makes all of this debate over who picks the former Oregon QB a farce and a cautionary tale of sorts. It makes the Bucs look like geniuses and everyone else the fool. However, if Mariota pans out and Winston goes up in flames, what a black mark for Tampa Bay! They passed on the great Marcus Mariota, in lieu of another forgettable player.

Enough hyperbole; Tampa is going to take Winston and that leaves Mariota available for me to assign. We debated the Titans best option at pick two and I’m standing by what I said. They should and will trade the pick. Tennessee doesn’t know what it has yet with Zach Mettenberger and they can get a great player and more by trading back.

Both Jacksonville and Oakland are in a better position to trade up than the teams you listed, but my instincts agree with you. Neither team needs this quarterback more than the other studs atop the draft board.

The Cleveland Browns are also standing on firm ground to trade up, having two first round picks (pick 12 and 19). But I can’t understand how you give up on Johnny Manziel so quickly. He barely had an opportunity to play last season and admittedly had issues bad enough to require rehab. Manziel did not win the starting job last offseason, but abandoning your first round quarterback one year removed from drafting him is insane. If this was any other team than Cleveland I would throw that idea out the window. Yet I’m still throwing it out. The Browns are not going all out for Mariota.

The team with the biggest need and best fit for Marcus Mariota is the New York Jets. The Eagles may want him, but they don’t have nearly enough to offer, outside of three other quarterbacks on roster. Same goes for the Chargers and Chicago Bears. Both teams have older, successful veterans with several seasons left. But neither one is going to have enough to trade with Tennessee.

The fit with the Jets scares me as a fan, but makes sense in terms of the draft board. Moving up four slots within the top ten is very doable. At six the Titans can grab a star player, very likely the same player they’d take at two. New York will probably have to give up its second and/or fourth round pick this year, along with its first round pick next season and something more. But if Mariota is what we all want him to be, and the Jets defense is now as dominant as we think, that first round pick won’t be so valuable come April of next year.

The Jets have veteran wide receivers, a strong running back rotation of bruising players who can eat up yards. They have an experienced offensive line and a smart veteran quarterback who knows his offensive coordinator’s offense inside and out. Jumping from the bright lights of Oregon to the bright lights of New York will be an easy transition for this super smart player. Mariota makes a lot of sense on the Jets.

All of New York’s offseason moves point towards this draft day power play. They have filled a lot of major holes with proven veteran players. The Jets are the team that selects Mariota, ending one short-lived quarterback era and starting what has the potential to be a long and successful one.

Next: Final Mock Draft has Mariota on Tampa Bay

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