The NFL Draft is a week away, and there are still many questions about who is going where and when will they get selected.
Quarterback is the “sexiest” position in football due to how often the position touches the ball, and they often generate the most buzz in the draft. And the 2015 NFL draft is no different.
2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota are getting the most hype. Winston is considered the best prospect in the class by several draft outlets , while Mariota is the unquestioned No. 2 quarterback in the draft by the same draft rankings .
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the No. 1 pick and are believed to be deciding between Winston and Mariota. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times believes the Bucs have decided on selecting Winston.
“Winston is plug-and-play. He operated in a pro-style offense. He played under center, he checks protections, reads coverage and throws with accuracy and anticipation. On the field, there were always more questions about transitioning to the NFL for Mariota, who played almost exclusively in the shotgun, never called a play in the huddle and benefited from the Ducks’ spread option system.”
While the two biggest names in the draft are quarterbacks, there are plenty of questions regarding the rest of the quarterback class. Winston and Mariotta are likely the only two quarterbacks to be selected on the Draft’s first night. Just four other quarterbacks — Brett Hundley, Garrett Grayson, Bryce Petty and Sean Mannion — are expected to be taken in the first five rounds. In total, 10 quarterbacks are projected be picked in the draft which takes places from April 30-May 2 and can be seen on ESPN and ESPN2 .
The following will look at the top quarterback prospects and where they are projected to be selected.
1. Winston – Florida State Winston is big and powerful. He is poor decision maker and is not a good passer on the run. Also, has a lot of off-the-field red flags.
2.Mariota- Oregon Mariota is very accurate on short and intermediate routes. He has the ability to make plays on the run. However, he needs to become more comfortable in the pocket.
3. Brett Hundley -UCLA Hundley possesses a strong arm and is a true dual threat — he has recorded 21 rushing touchdowns in the last two years. There are concerns about Hundley’s accuracy, as he has a history of throwing short passes. Projected : Second round.
4. Sean Mannion, Oregon State Mannion is said to have a strong work ethic. He struggles when he is forced out-of-the-pocket and doesn’t evade rushers well. Projected : Third through fifth round.
5. Garrett Grayson, Colorado State Grayson has a very strong arm and is poised in the pocket. He also has the ability to create away from the pocket. However, he doesn’t throw the deep ball very well.
Projected : Third through fifth round.
6. Bryce Petty, Baylor Petty has a quick release and throws a hard ball. He doesn’t have a lot experience taking snaps behind center as he took most of snaps from the shotgun at Baylor. Projected : Third through fifth round.
7. Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion Heinicke has the ability to make plays on the move. Projected : Sixth round through not drafted.
8. Cody Fajardo, Nevada Fajardo is very mobile and has the ability to extend plays. Projected : Sixth round through not drafted.
9. Bryan Bennett, SE Louisiana Bennett is a very athletic dual threat with a big arm. He spent two seasons at Oregon. Projected : Sixth round through not drafted
10. Connor Halliday, Washington State Halliday possesses a strong arm but is injury prone. Projected: Sixth through not drafted.
The rest of the class (all of who are projected to go undrafted) 11. Shane Carden , East Carolina 12. Huston Mason, Georgia 13. Anthony Boone, Duke 14. Taylor Kelly, Arizona State 15. Brandon Bridge, South Alabama 16. Chris Bonner, Colorado State-Pueblo
(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
