While former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota was certainly deserving of the No. 2 overall pick, scouts seemed to be in agreement that he represented the biggest boom-or-bust potential of any of the top prospects. Despite winning the Heisman Trophy his senior year, some teams worried that his transition to the NFL would be a difficult one. After all, Oregon ran a spread system with heavy reliance on screen plays and out-of-pocket passes. Rarely was Mariota asked to make NFL-level throws or take snaps under center. Given the type of offense he came from, some of those concerns were fair.
But at the end of the day, the Tennessee Titans felt that talent would trump everything else. Although Mariota hasn't even put on his pads yet, that gamble appears to be paying off.
"He's probably further along at this point than we thought he would be, maybe," Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt said via ESPN. That's welcome news for Titans fans.
"Credit Mariota for earning the praise," John Clayton wrote. "Since January, Mariota has worked on his footwork, spending many hours taking snaps from center and executing throws from three, five- and seven-step drops. Spread quarterbacks don't do that. He has gotten more comfortable running a huddle - another thing he didn't do in college. His Tennessee teammates have praised his accuracy, a sign that his improved footwork is paying off. Whisenhunt also liked the way Mariota is processing the plays. Expect him to start Week 1."
Interestingly, Mariota and the Titans will play Jameis Winston (the No. 1 pick from this year's draft) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. It's unfair to view the game as a marker for each quarterback, but fans of both teams will surely get caught up in that story line as we approach the regular season. Lucky for Titans supporters, Mariota is already making his mark.
