Marcus Mariota is generating a ton of trade attention ahead of the NFL draft and teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, NY Jets and San Diego Chargers could be interested in a trade up with the Tennessee Titans if the Titans do not take Leonard Williams at number two.
Mariota comes in as the top quarterback along with Jameis Winston and with the Buccaneers expected to take the Florida State star, teams are looking into Mariota. According to Pro Football Talk, the Chargers have shown "serious interest" in trading up for Mariota, while the Browns, Jets and Bears have also had reported interest in moving up. Last season Mariota won the Heisman trophy and took his Oregon team to the national title game.
According to NFL Media draft analyst Charles Davis, the Eagles' "nightmare draft scenario" is if the Cleveland Browns move up to take Mariota. The Browns are the best situated to make a move, as they have two first round picks and the most selections of any team in the draft. The Eagles interest has been reported on quite a bit and while Chip Kelly has come out to say that the team won't mortgage their draft for one player, many think it could happen.
The situation with Mariota has some major moving parts and there is a chance that the Titans stand pat and take Leonard Williams and if that happens, it could be bedlam. The Jaguars, Raiders, Redskins and Jets likely would get calls about trades if Mariota slips and that could cause some major moves. The Eagles reportedly are interested in making a move and so are the Cleveland Browns, while the Jets also have interest in the QB.
But if Mariota starts to slide (and some draft experts think he could), the Jets will be tempted to take him at number six. The team might be better off making a trade though, as they have a number of needs on the roster and they could get a package of picks by trading out. The team then could draft Bryce Petty or Brett Hundley while getting a nice set of picks. The situation is very interesting coming into the draft, because all the talk is about trading for Mariota, but that may not ever come to pass if he gets drafted by the Titans, Redskins, Jets or even the Bears.
Mariota put up some great numbers in his college career and he has the chance to be a solid starter in the NFL based on what he did at Oregon. Mariota threw for 4454 yards as a senior with 42 touchdowns and just four interceptions and in his career he only threw 14 interceptions in three years at Oregon. Mariota was prolific during his time and he also added 15 rushing touchdowns last season and could be a dual threat in the NFL.
Mariota will have to work on getting past his first read in the NFL, but after completing 66 percent of his passes in three years, he should be ready to adjust.