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Marcus Mariota might be the second-best QB in this current NFL draft class after Jameis Winston according to most analysts, but let me make a quick case for the former Oregon Ducks‘ player as a potential pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
First, he is mature. We do not need to go over Winston’s list of activities that showed a lack of maturity during college, but it bears mentioning that Mariota has never drawn negative attention to himself for behavior off of the field.
That is incredibly important in the NFL, because, these days, the players basically have to be boy scouts off the field when they play the QB position. There are some exceptions like Ben Roethlisberger, but there is a higher percentage of boy-scout QBs who have had success in the league like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
Secondly, Mariota will adapt. He might struggle during his potential rookie season with the Buccaneers, but this is one smart dude, who will figure things out if given the time, resources, encouragement and weapons to do so. Oregon has a way of giving their quarterbacks plenty of space with speedy receivers on the edge, and it would be important for Tampa Bay to give the QB some more options at WR for Mariota to have success.
To conclude, this quarterback won’t be afraid of “The Moment.” We have all seen it. There are athletes like Joe Montana and Michael Jordan who thrive on the biggest stage, and there are also some who struggle under the bright lights like Tony Romo and Andy Dalton. Mariota may not have won a championship at Oregon, but he certainly played a lot of big games in college. He would have no fear with the Buccaneers, and you should only be mildly surprised if they end up taking him.
Dave Daniels is a Prep Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter: @AllDave_AllDay, like him on Facebook here or add him to your network on Google.
