Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Tennessee Titans currently hold the No. 2 overall pick in tonight’s opening round of the 2015 NFL Draft. They have been rumored to be looking to trade it nearly all offseason long, but they are now seemingly interested in keeping it and taking Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota for themselves. That would be the best move for their franchise.
If the season began without the Titans picking up another quarterback, they would be starting second-year quarterback Zach Mettenberger under center. He finished his rookie season with 1,412 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. While those numbers may not look too bad, he didn’t show too many signs that prove he can become a long-term option for the Titans.
Mariota has some question marks surrounding his game as well, but for the most part he is viewed as a franchise-caliber quarterback. He threw for 10,796 yards, 105 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during his three-year career with the Ducks, and he also picked up 2,237 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground. His athleticism is a major draw for a team like the Titans, and he would immediately give them a bright big picture looking into the future.
Tennessee hasn’t had a legitimate franchise quarterback in quite some time. They have been bouncing from one quarterback to another, and it’s time for them to draft someone like Mariota who can give them consistency over the long haul.
Obviously, it is going to be very intriguing to consider the option of dealing the pick, but there is nothing more important than a franchise quarterback. Teams rarely win Super Bowls without having a star quarterback, and the Titans can’t count on Mettenberger to be that guy.
After Mariota, there aren’t any quarterbacks in the draft who are considered legitimate franchise players. Bryce Petty is the third quarterback on most big boards, and he simply isn’t even close to as talented as Mariota. Tennessee could decide that they don’t need a quarterback this year and would rather wait another season, but this opportunity doesn’t come around every year.
Trading back would offer them the ability to fill more holes on their roster, but it wouldn’t fix the most important position in the game.
Needless to say, it is going to be very entertaining to see what the Titans decide to do with their pick. They appear to be more than willing to keep it if they aren’t blown away by a trade offer, but they need to keep the pick no matter what another team offers them. Drafting a quarterback like Mariota is not something to pass up on, and he could be exactly what they have been needing to turn their franchise back into playoff contenders.
Expect to see the Titans consider trades all the way up until the final couple minutes of being on the clock. They aren’t going to rush a decision, but hopefully they decide to do the right thing for their future and take Mariota.
