No one is going to confuse Tennessee Titans quarterback and last year's sixth-round pick Zach Mettenberger with incoming 2015 NFL Draft prospect and likely first-overall selection come late April, Jameis Winston, any time soon.
One is a top talent expected to take over as the face of a franchise the minute he steps on an NFL field and the other is a guy whose mustache was ridiculed by his own coach last season.
That being said, at least one highly regarded NFL talent evaluator - Greg Cosell of NFL Films - believes there are more similarities between the two men in terms of style of play than you'd probably initially think and, more importantly for Titans fans, Cosell believes Mettenberger may actually be better than Winston in some facets of the game.
"Mettenberger and Winston are very, very similar in style of play," Cosell said Wednesday while a guest on The Midday 190 on 104.5 The Zone, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN. "I'd argue Mettenberger is more advanced as an anticipatory thrower and has a little bit better arm."
The Titans and head coach Ken Whisenhunt are reportedly very high on Mettenberger's NFL future - a fact that has drawn both derision and consternation from NFL pundits attempting to connect the Titans and their No. 2-overall draft choice with former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
While the Titans will almost assuredly have no shot at Winston, he seems a much better fit for Whisenhunt's so-called "pro-style" offense than the read-option trained Mariota.
Cosell's feelings certainly won't sway the Tennessee decision-making, but it does add credence to the Titans reported plan of skipping the addition of a quarterback at No. 2 and either taking a player like Leonard Williams or Dante Fowler Jr. or trading back with one of the many teams hell-bent on moving up and nabbing Mariota, and heading into the 2015 NFL season and beyond with Mettenberger as "the guy."
Mettenberger certainly has talent and were it not for an injury that limited his final season at LSU would likely have been selected much higher than the sixth-round last year.
In seven games for the Titans last season, Mettenberger amassed 107 completions for 1,412 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. It wasn't an overwhelmingly positive rookie season, that's for sure, but it showed that Mettenberger has the skill to play in this league.
What happens come draft night later this month will show just how much the Titans truly believe in his ability to become a franchise signal-caller - or not.
