With the NFL combine just around the corner, a number of teams are starting to clarify their intentions for their first-round pick. With two quarterbacks headlining the draft talk, who will land Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston? Both college stars are expected to be immediate starts to whichever team drafts them, but with rumors surfacing about Winston being out of shape and Mariota dropping in rank. is the draft as set as some believed?
ESPN Draft Expects Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. both have Jameis Winston sitting at No. 1 in their respective mock drafts, being selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That idea seems plausible considering the Buccaneers just announced 2014 starter Josh McCown was released as the team gets linked to trades involving Mike Glennon. The Buccaneers need their "guy" to take over the franchise and Winston could be it. However, recent photos surfaced of the quarterback looking over weight and out of shape, something his coach is now defending.
"The photo of Jameis was taken in early-mid January," Whitfield said, via NFL.com. "If people are saying he looks out of shape - well, did they notice he had the leash tight around his waist? That may have had something to do with it. Jameis is in shape and doing great. Anyone saying he's out of shape, they can check him out at the combine this week."
The chances that Winston drops in the draft because of that photo are slim to none. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Buccaneers are leaning towards the Florida State star with the top draft pick as teams will then prepare to fight for Mariota in a deal for the No. 2 pick. The Tennessee Titans have the second quarterback and many assumed they needed to select a quarterback, but the team is starting to back off that idea, invested in Zach Mettenberger.
Titans general manager Ruston Webster downplayed the idea of drafting a quarterback in the first round, instead praising the potential of Mettenberger in the future. The former LSU quarterback saw playing time last season, not overly impressing in the process. He ended the season injured.
"We like Zach, and I think Zach has the tools to play and start in the league," Webster said, via the Tennesseean. "We've said all along that this is a part of this process, and we have to do our due diligence all the way through. Zach knows we are going to do that, and this is just kind of part of it. These guys are part of the evaluation process along with other positions. And we'll take a good look at them."
That would leave the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles to fight over the second pick in hopes of getting Mariota. If the Titans like what they see out of other players, a trade down could be the right move.