NFL Draft 2014: Marcus Mariota Should be Top-10 Pick

Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

As a redshirt sophomore, we know that Marcus Mariota will likely declare for the 2014 NFL Draft at the end of the season and he should strike while the iron is hot. As for mobile quarterbacks go, the Oregon Ducks‘ star might be the best in college football right now.

However, is Mariota worthy of a top-10 selection in the 2014 Draft? It’s hard to tell right now because the young quarterback has yet to play stiff competition, but the coming weeks should answer some questions about just how good he is. Chip Kelly used Mariota perfectly a year ago in his offense and even with Kelly gone, Mariota has excelled in yet another fast-paced offensive scheme that has yet to be slowed down.

Mariota is on pace to surpass all of the numbers he put up last year — except the completion percentage which has dropped a bit. His completion rate might be down, but his yards per pass attempt this season is up a considerable amount at three yards per attempt.

The redshirt sophomore has 1,358 passing yards to go along with 14 touchdowns and an impressive interception-less season through five games. The Hawaii-native also has 338 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, proving he has the skill to escape the pocket, when necessary, and complete passes down the field with his 10.1 yards per pass attempt.

Many people were worried about his arm prior to the season, but the sophomore has answered that question with 14 scores and no interceptions. Also, he hasn’t been finishing games because he has led the Ducks to an average win margin of 47.4 points.

Is this guy worthy of a top-10 pick? Yes. In my opinion, he is a future franchise quarterback in the NFL and should be highly considered by teams looking to upgrade for the future in next year’s draft?

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Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at .