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2015 NFL Draft: The Top 5 Draft-Eligible Quarterbacks

By Ryan Phillips

Oct 18, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) warms up before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) warms up before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 18, 2014; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs the ball against the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2014; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs the ball against the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon

Since early last season, Mariota has been among the nation’s best college quarterbacks. He likely would have been the first quarterback taken had he entered the 2014 draft, but returning to school was probably the right decision. This season he has distanced himself from the rest of the pack by showing clear growth and maturation. The redshirt junior has also gaudy numbers despite a disastrous situation in front of him along Oregon’s offensive line.

So far in 2014, Mariota has completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 1,957 yards, with 19 touchdowns and no interceptions. He also has 289 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He has been wildly productive during his career for the Ducks, but don’t mistake him for a system quarterback.

Mariota is big (6’4″ and 219 pounds) and has a very good arm. He can make all the throws, knows when to gun it and when to use touch, and has excellent pocket awareness. What impressed me the most on film was his ability to work the middle of the field beyond 15 yards. That’s usually an area it takes time for a quarterback to learn to utilize and gain comfort in. Mariota does a lot of his damage there.

He has good instincts for the position and shows maturity beyond his years in the pocket. The 20-year-old has solid accuracy but his ball placement isn’t elite yet. That will get better as he gets more experience, and he doesn’t have to be perfect given Oregon’s wealth of skill position talent.

While many will discuss his abilities as a runner, Mariota is a passer first. He runs a lot of zone-read in Oregon’s offense, but when he drops back to pass he goes through his progressions before taking off. Unlike last year’s top run/pass threat, Johnny Manziel, Mariota is not a one read and take off kind of guy. He will hang in the pocket as long as he can before rolling out or taking off. He’s also excellent at extending plays with his legs before throwing on the run, and his accuracy on the move is impressive as well.

He’s an elite runner and will probably clock in the 4.5-4.6 range on his 40-yard dash. You will hear a lot of comparisons to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but don’t buy them. Mariota is a far more advanced passer now than Kaepernick is likely to ever become.

While he’s not a vocal leader, Mariota is universally hailed as a great kid who has never had any issues away from the football field and that’s a big deal for a potential franchise quarterback. He has great mental makeup and shows the ability to process what defenses throw at him and make adjustments.

Mariota’s best fit would be to a team with a spread or hybrid offense. If he winds up going to a franchise that runs a traditional pro-style or West Coast offense his transition to the NFL may take a while. I think he would eventually figure it out, but it would certainly take some time.

Right now Mariota is the top quarterback on my board and the No. 1 player overall. If the 2015 NFL Draft were tomorrow he would be the top pick and I have him graded as the best quarterback prospect to come out since Andrew Luck in 2012.

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