Marcus Mariota Surges, Will Affect Trades at Top of Draft

Marcus Mariota has always been considered a top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, but as we get closer and closer there is a late push for him to be the top quarterback – and possibly the top player – taken in the draft. The Oregon quarterback is certainly something special, but with Jameis Winston almost considered a lock at first overall it wouldn’t have been shocking to see Mariota slide past the first three spots.

Now with a civil suit filed and more concerns being raised around Winston, Mariota may find himself at the top of the heap. Mike Mayock now has him as his top ranked passer.

So, how does this affect our Jacksonville Jaguars?

Directly, not so much. Indirectly, quite a bit.

The Jags, picking at three overall, are in prime position to be a trade partner (which they are hoping for) with a team that may want to jump up and pick a top talent. Someone like Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, or defensive tackle Leonard Williams. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do decided to go with Mariota over Winston (which isn’t out of the realm of possibility) and the Tennessee Titans decide they are happy with Zach Mettenberger, then the Jaguars may be in the perfect spot for teams in need of a quarterback.

This isn’t to say that some teams will just sit and hope a quarterback falls into their laps, but in today’s NFL teams are frequently more than happy to sacrifice a little to land a franchise quarterback or a top-tier defensive talent.

As Mariota continues to surge upward, we’ve got to wonder if teams won’t be shy about going after Winston if he does get past the first two draft spots. Personally, I would be surprised to see someone trade up for him as I believe there are too many concerns. Then again, a lot of the teams picking at the top of the draft aren’t well known for drafting well or being wise with their draft picks.

Next: 4-Round Jaguars Mock Draft

More from Black and Teal

Home/Jaguars Draft