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NFL Mock Draft 2015: Another projection of Marcus Mariota to Jets. Would he be ready to start Week 1?
Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
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on January 16, 2015 at 10:30 AM, updated January 16, 2015 at 10:45 AM
Will Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota play for the Jets in 2015?
That is anybody's best guess, and seemingly everybody is tossing out guesses these days.
Here's another one, in the form of Daniel Jeremiah's first mock draft. He works for NFL.com. He thinks the Jets will draft Mariota sixth overall.
OK, fair enough. Jeremiah certainly isn't the first mock drafter to project Mariota to the Jets. (More on that below.)
Jeremiah's explanation for why the Jets will pick Mariota at No. 6 is short and sweet: "A new regime usually means a new signal-caller. Mariota needs some time to develop, but he could be the answer to the Jets' QB woes."
The Jets do indeed have a new regime: general manager Mike Maccagnan, head coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.
Mariota will have some adjusting to do under Gailey, as Mariota transitions from Oregon's up-tempo spread system (which he thrived in) to an NFL offense. It remains very much uncertain that Mariota will be ready to step in and start the 2015 opener for an NFL team.
Geno Smith will be back for Year 3 with the Jets in 2015, so he will be a factor in the Jets' offseason quarterback situation, regardless of who the newcomer is, and how he is acquired -- via the draft, free agency or a trade.
Jeremiah actually has Florida State's Jameis Winston going No. 1 overall to Tampa Bay, and Jeremiah explains that projection like this: "Winston has some immaturity issues, but he has ideal size, arm strength and touch. He's ready to play Day 1."
Of course, there is the possibility that both Winston and Mariota will be drafted by the time the Jets pick. ESPN's Todd McShay thinks Winston is a better prospect than Mariota, exclusively in terms of on-field stuff. McShay's colleague, Mel Kiper Jr., thinks neither Winston nor Mariota is a franchise quarterback.
Anyway, here's how Jeremiah projects the second through fifth picks:
2. Tennessee: Nebraska OLB Randy Gregory
3. Jacksonville: Florida OLB Dante Fowler Jr.
4. Oakland: West Virginia WR Kevin White
5. Washington: Southern California DE Leonard Williams
Jeremiah believes the Jets will pass on a couple guys who other mock drafts have them picking: Missouri defensive end Shane Ray and Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper. Jeremiah has them going seventh to the Bears and eighth to the Falcons, respectively.
If your head is spinning from all these mock drafts, with the actual draft still three and a half months away, we're here to help. Here's a recap of who other mock drafts have the Jets taking, plus when those mock drafts were published:
• ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. (January): Missouri DE Shane Ray
• The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre (January): Oregon QB Marcus Mariota
• Bleacher Report's Matt Miller (January): Oregon QB Marcus Mariota
• SB Nation's Dan Kadar (January): Florida State QB Jameis Winston
• ESPN's Todd McShay (December): Alabama WR Amari Cooper
• Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke (December): Florida State QB Jameis Winston
• NFLDraftScout.com's Dane Brugler (December): Nebraska DE Randy Gregory
• DraftInsider.net's Tony Pauline (November): Alabama WR Amari Cooper
• NFLDraftScout.com's Dane Brugler (October!): Florida State QB Jameis Winston
Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Darryl Slater | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on January 16, 2015 at 10:30 AM, updated January 16, 2015 at 10:45 AM
Will Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota play for the Jets in 2015?
That is anybody's best guess, and seemingly everybody is tossing out guesses these days.
Here's another one, in the form of Daniel Jeremiah's first mock draft. He works for NFL.com. He thinks the Jets will draft Mariota sixth overall.
OK, fair enough. Jeremiah certainly isn't the first mock drafter to project Mariota to the Jets. (More on that below.)
Jeremiah's explanation for why the Jets will pick Mariota at No. 6 is short and sweet: "A new regime usually means a new signal-caller. Mariota needs some time to develop, but he could be the answer to the Jets' QB woes."
The Jets do indeed have a new regime: general manager Mike Maccagnan, head coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.
Mariota will have some adjusting to do under Gailey, as Mariota transitions from Oregon's up-tempo spread system (which he thrived in) to an NFL offense. It remains very much uncertain that Mariota will be ready to step in and start the 2015 opener for an NFL team.
Geno Smith will be back for Year 3 with the Jets in 2015, so he will be a factor in the Jets' offseason quarterback situation, regardless of who the newcomer is, and how he is acquired -- via the draft, free agency or a trade.
Jeremiah actually has Florida State's Jameis Winston going No. 1 overall to Tampa Bay, and Jeremiah explains that projection like this: "Winston has some immaturity issues, but he has ideal size, arm strength and touch. He's ready to play Day 1."
Of course, there is the possibility that both Winston and Mariota will be drafted by the time the Jets pick. ESPN's Todd McShay thinks Winston is a better prospect than Mariota, exclusively in terms of on-field stuff. McShay's colleague, Mel Kiper Jr., thinks neither Winston nor Mariota is a franchise quarterback.
Anyway, here's how Jeremiah projects the second through fifth picks:
2. Tennessee: Nebraska OLB Randy Gregory
3. Jacksonville: Florida OLB Dante Fowler Jr.
4. Oakland: West Virginia WR Kevin White
5. Washington: Southern California DE Leonard Williams
Jeremiah believes the Jets will pass on a couple guys who other mock drafts have them picking: Missouri defensive end Shane Ray and Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper. Jeremiah has them going seventh to the Bears and eighth to the Falcons, respectively.
If your head is spinning from all these mock drafts, with the actual draft still three and a half months away, we're here to help. Here's a recap of who other mock drafts have the Jets taking, plus when those mock drafts were published:
• ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. (January): Missouri DE Shane Ray
• The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre (January): Oregon QB Marcus Mariota
• Bleacher Report's Matt Miller (January): Oregon QB Marcus Mariota
• SB Nation's Dan Kadar (January): Florida State QB Jameis Winston
• ESPN's Todd McShay (December): Alabama WR Amari Cooper
• Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke (December): Florida State QB Jameis Winston
• NFLDraftScout.com's Dane Brugler (December): Nebraska DE Randy Gregory
• DraftInsider.net's Tony Pauline (November): Alabama WR Amari Cooper
• NFLDraftScout.com's Dane Brugler (October!): Florida State QB Jameis Winston
