As the regular season comes to a close in the next few weeks, most teams will start looking ahead to the 2015 NFL draft. Perhaps no other team is more ready for the draft than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are on pace for the No. 1 overall pick.
The Bucs desperately need some competent quarterback play. Josh McCown and Mike Glennon have combined to throw 18 interceptions in 14 games and have a total quarterback rating of 48.2 this season. But what better place to find a potential franchise signal-caller than the draft?
Right now, the past two Heisman winners Marcus Mariota (Oregon) and Jameis Winston (Florida State) are the top two quarterback prospects in the draft. Could Tampa Bay be interested in either one and, if so, which?
"Even Mariota and Winston, neither of those guys is [Andrew] Luck," one anonymous NFC personnel executive said to Philly.com. "They're both better than [Blake] Bortles, who was the first quarterback taken last year. They're both better than [Ryan] Tannehill when he came out. But neither of them is a slam dunk."
That sentiment gels with recent mock drafts that have Mariota and Winston being selected first and second, respectively. Mariota is viewed as the better prospect due to his immense athletic ability and character, despite playing in a spread offense during college. Winston is more capable from within the pocket, having played in a pro-style offense under FSU coach Jimbo Fisher. But Winston obviously comes with a plethora of off-field concerns.
Of course, there are still months to go before any team begins to finalize their draft boards. There's no telling what can change in the ensuing time. But as of right now, Mariota seems to have the edge when it comes to being the first QB off the board. Let's revisit this after the Ducks and Seminoles play in the college football semifinals.
