NFL Mock Draft 2015: Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston Bound to Be Taken First and Second?
ByNow with Marcus Mariota confirming his decision to declare for the NFL Draft, Mel Kiper has released his first mock draft for ESPN.
Whereas fellow ESPN draft expert Todd McShay projected Mariota going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers first overall, Kiper placed Jameis Winston first overall. Kiper then projected Mariota to go second overall to the Tennessee Titans, the destination McShay had for Winston.
Kiper and McShay agreed about the third pick: USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Jacksonville Jaguars. But they differed on where Amari Cooper, the Alabama wideout and a major offensive standout, would go. McShay projected him to go sixth to the New York Jets and Kiper saw him going fourth to the Oakland Raiders.
But Bleacher Report posed the possibility of a third quarterback being taken in the first round, projecting Brett Hundley to go 24th to the Arizona Cardinals. Hundley's draft stock is much more murky than Mariota, a Heisman Trophy winner with a 36-5 record in three seasons.
Hundey may also have a ton of untapped potential and could wind up being a bargain pick if he realizes it. On the other hand, Hundley could just as easily fall to the middle rounds, as McShay and Kiper believe running backs Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon are more likely late-first round picks.
With Connor Cook staying at Michigan State, the rest of the quarterback field of prospects is far less bankable than even Hundley. With several teams in need of a quarterback, this does not seem to be the year for teams outside the top five in the draft order to get lucky.