Fansided

2015 NFL Draft: Ranking The 5 most surprising selections

By Robby Sabo

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Brandon Scherff (Iowa) poses for a photo with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the number fifth overall pick to the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Brandon Scherff (Iowa) poses for a photo with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the number fifth overall pick to the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
May 1, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans first round draft pick Marcus Mariota (left) answers questions from the media as with executive vice president and general manager Ruston Webster (center) and head coach Ken Whisenhunt (right) look on during the press conference at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
May 1, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans first round draft pick Marcus Mariota (left) answers questions from the media as with executive vice president and general manager Ruston Webster (center) and head coach Ken Whisenhunt (right) look on during the press conference at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Marcus Mariota – No. 2 Overall, Tennessee Titans

We start at the top.

Unless you intentionally buried yourself under a rock the last few months, you knew who was going No. 1 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The real question surrounding the 2015 NFL Draft would come down to the No. 2 spot.

It was up to the Tennessee Titans to decide what would happen the rest of the first-round. Their decision in that hole would allow all the dominoes to fall a certain way after that.

What they did, is make an emphatic statement by taking the consensus No. 2 quarterback in the pool.

The selecting of Marcus Mariota himself is not surprising. His pedigree and tools warrant this spot. Throw in the fact that every NFL organization needs to be obsessed with finding a bonafide franchise quarterback, and all of the ingredients were there for this marriage to take place.

What’s surprising is who was behind the selection.

Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt has made no apologies for liking Zach Mettenberger. Although Mettenberger was chosen in the sixth-round a year ago, most believed Whisenhunt had found his guy moving forward.

Throughout his NFL coaching career, Whisenhunt has been a guy who’s built around the strong-armed, down-field quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh and Kurt Warner in Arizona are his most recent guys.

It’s no secret he prefers the pocket-passer.

Although Mariota isn’t a small guy (6-4, 215 lbs.), he is not a pocket-passer. He’s a mobile, one-read guy who’ll need a ton of seasoning to eventually get to a level that Whisenhunt wants for his offense.

Not taking any of the massive deals thrown their way coupled with Whisenhunt falling in love with Mariota is the reason this selection leads us off at No. 5.

Next: Number 4

Home/NFL Draft