Marcus Mariota is the top trade target heading into the NFL draft and teams like the Cleveland Browns, NY Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers could be options over the Tennessee Titans making the pick if those teams consider trading up and this comes as Jameis Winston is expected to go number one overall.
Mariota has been working out for teams and with a little over a week until the draft, it's unclear where he will end up or where he will be drafted. According to Adam Schefter, most draft experts have come to a consensus that Winston will be number one for the Buccaneers, but after that it's anyone's guess about what will happen. The Buccaneers could flip and pick Mariota over Winston, but all reports have the Florida State quarterback going first overall this year. If Winston does go number one, attention will be on Tennessee and they could look at trading out of that spot.
The Titans have the number two pick, and while they need a quarterback, reports say the team is considering trading the pick for whoever wants to draft Mariota. That is a likely move, but Schefter says the team also is "strongly" considering taking Leonard Williams with the second pick. David Climer at the Tennessean has been on top of the Titans since the start of the talk about Philip Rivers and Mariota and he writes that Zach Mettenberger is "the guy" for the team and that they will not take Mariota.
If the team considers making a trade but doesn't need to trade for Rivers or Jay Cutler the titans could get an even better haul of picks for the number two selection. The team could consider making the trade with the Chargers or the Bears, but if they do not want the QBs involved, it could force those teams to decide how much they actually want Mariota after all and what they would be willing to give up. The Rivers to Tennessee trade talk is getting louder, but if the Titans don't want Rivers, it would take a lot for the Chargers to trade up from 17.
The main team to watch is the Eagles, as they have been consistent about saying they do not want to trade for Mariota, which makes everyone think they could trade for Mariota. According to Pro Football Talk, a three team trade with the Eagles and Browns making a deal could be an option for the Eagles. The Browns have shown interest in Mariota, but they have also shown interest in Sam Bradford and that could start some trade talk between those teams. The Titans could be the third team, getting first round draft picks in the deal.
The Browns have the ammo to make a deal for Mariota on their won, but they may see making a trade for Bradford as the better option. The team has two first round draft picks to work with and that could be enough to sway a team to make a deal. Mariota won the Heisman and took his team to the national championship and now he is the top trade target in the draft. Mariota had a strong college career and many see him as a solid starter in the NFL. Winston could be better to start, but some have said that Mariota is the better long term prospect.
