It is never too early to begin thinking about the NFL Draft, especially for fans of the Oakland Raiders, New York Jets or Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Thankfully, Todd McShay of ESPN is there to help having just released his first mock draft of 2015. This year's draft is not particularly deep in any one position like last year was in terms of quarterbacks and wide receivers, but there are a few playmakers making headlines heading into the spring. However, will struggles of players currently in the NFL factor into where others are drafted?
ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay's first mock draft of the year has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selecting current Heisman winner Marcus Mariota No. 1 overall. This certainly makes sense. The Buccaneers tried the Josh McCown experiment, but he failed to duplicate his success last this season this year. They tried their hand at second-year pro Mike Glennon who also failed to meet expectations for Lovie Smith in his first year. The team is desperate to regain control of the quarterback position and they feel like Mariota will be the one to do it.
Mariota going first leaves Jameis Winston to go to the Tennessee Titans after Jake Locker and Zach Mettenberger failed to impress this year. According to McShay, Winston has all of the tools to be great in the NFL with his arm strength in the pocket and his ability to move outside of it. The Titans have strong pieces on offense, but the quarterback position has remained a struggle for the team.
Right now, this draft seems logical. However, there is speculation that quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel could hurt Mariota and Winston's draft stock. First, both quarterbacks could be available for trades in the future. Griffin for sure while Manziel is a possibility. Some teams might opt to get a quarterback with NFL experience under his belt rather than putting faith in a rookie. However, both Griffin and Manziel have struggled so far this year, hurting the value of a mobile quarterback. Bleacher Report offered the opinion that teams will put more value in a pocket passer over someone who operates the read option.
What happens if Jay Cutler is available, something the Chicago Tribune believes will happen? Could Smith opt to trade his top pick for his former quarterback? Would the Titans prefer to sign Brian Hoyer in free agency while letting Mettenberger develop? These are certainly possibilities as the first few weeks of the NFL offseason will most certainly change the mock drafts prior to the first pick getting selected.