Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota already ahead of the curve

By Luis Tirado Jr. | May 29, 2015

While many analysts across the nation felt that quarterback Marcus Mariota might have had a hard time transitioning to the NFL, he’s actually been performing up to his potential so far this offseason. The Tennessee Titans easily made the decision to select him with their No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft fully knowing he might be an experimental quarterback that will need plenty of time before being ready to start. Based on his rookie training camp performance and early impressions in organized team activities, Mariota is already ahead of the curve.

In an article written by Paul Kuharsky of ESPN, head coach Ken Whisenhunt gave plenty of praise to Mariota on progression with his passes, pocket presence and learning the ins and outs of being an NFL quarterback. Here is what he had to say about Mariota’s progress so far for the Titans:

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"“He made some good throws, especially on those outside routes,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “Anticipation is good. He moved in the pocket well. There are still some terminology things that he is getting stuck on. It’s all new to him, but as far as processing things, you’re seeing him start to grow and you like that, you get excited about that.”"

Mariota is grasping everything in stride and putting his high football IQ to good use. Of course it’ll take some time as OTAs are still relatively new, but to see him only having a bit of a struggle in the mental aspect of the Titans’ offensive playbook but delivering on the field where it matters most speaks of his potential.

As Mariota learns to master the ins and outs of running a pro-style offense, expect to see the Titans have certain plays that works well with his strengths. With projected offensive plays that will most likely feature shotgun formations and a few no-huddle scenarios, Mariota will execute like he did in the past at Oregon.

In his collegiate career, Mariota threw for 10,796 yards on 1,167 attempts for 105 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His running game was also on point at Oregon as he rushed for 2,237 yards on 337 carries, 29 for touchdowns. Needless to say, Mariota will put on quite the show once he is under center commanding this team to better memories ahead.

May 15, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans first round draft pick Marcus Mariota passes during his first minicamp work out at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

If Mariota can make most of all the opportunities to grasp this new offensive system and execute on all cylinders by the time the regular season hits, he will truly take the NFL by storm.

Since the Titans’ playbook is being catered for him while hiding his weaknesses, there is little reason to believe that he won’t shine and light up the charts once he plays in games that actually matter.

While it’s too early to tell just how things will pan out over time for him, it’s good to see Mariota already heading in the right direction.

He might have made mistakes in his first practice with the Titans (one interception and a fumble) but it’s all part of the process of him getting ready to eventually be deemed starting material. If it’s any indication at this very moment, Mariota will be ready to put this team back into contention come next season.

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