NFL Mock Draft 2015: Marcus Mariota Rumors Increase As NFL Draft Approaches
NFL mock draft updates seem positive for Marcus Mariota and his agent. The latest 2015 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports was revealed on Sunday, April 26, and it nearly comes with a guarantee that Mariota will be selected with the second pick of the draft. As for which team is going to wind up with that pick, that fact is still debatable, and exactly what Rob Rang addresses in the report.
“Whether the Titans select Mariota or trade this pick to another team (sources suggest that the Jets, Bears, Rams, Browns, Chargers and Eagles all are in play), sources throughout the league expect the reigning Heisman Trophy winner to come off the board at No. 2. The rumored Philip Rivers for Mariota deal is a legitimate possibility, I’m told, with the Chargers perhaps ranking as the favorite to land here should the pick be dealt.”
Currently the Tennessee Titans still own that second pick, giving the team a lot of power as the first day of the draft approaches. There are quite a few franchises that might work hard to move up in the draft, including a Cleveland Browns team that may be ready to move on from Johnny Manziel permanently. The San Diego Chargers also keep coming up, with the team unable to secure the signature of Philip Rivers on a long-term contract. It could lead to the Chargers trading Rivers in order to go after Mariota.
Yahoo! Sports also revealed a new 2015 NFL mock draft, beginning with quarterback Jameis Winston going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the first pick, and then Marcus Mariota to the Tennessee Titans with the second pick. It seems like many NFL analysts feel that the Titans should (and will) target a new quarterback with that high pick, with others feeling that the team should look to trade with the Cleveland Browns. What has become a general consensus, though, is that Mariota could be a really good NFL talent.
As previously reported on the Inquisitr, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are easily the best quarterback prospects coming out of college. Though there are others, like Brett Hundley out of UCLA, that could be selected in the first few rounds, he isn’t projected to be drafted until later in the second round. The separation between the two guys to be considered elite (Winston and Mariota) and the rest of the quarterback group is pretty immense.
Some of the other noteworthy predictions in this latest NFL mock draft from CBS include defensive tackle Leonard Williams at No. 3 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, receiver Amari Cooper at No. 4 to the Oakland Raiders, and outside linebacker Dante Fowler at No. 5 to the Washington Redskins. Further down, the San Francisco 49ers are projected to target cornerback Byron Jones, the Dallas Cowboys are linked to cornerback Marcus Peters, and the Green Bay Packers could have interest in nose tackle Jordan Phillips.
Though this is just a 2015 NFL mock draft that covers what might happen, it certainly shows how the value of quarterback Marcus Mariota has increased quite a bit over the past few weeks. Could there be one final surprise where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers step up and take him No. 1 overall?
[Image Source: Steve Dykes/Getty Images]
