But who the hell knows?Maybe Mort and Schefter are really onto something? Or is this a smoke screen by somebody trying to get Winston to drop? http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2015/01/how_good_is_oregon_quarterback_marcus_mariota.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co NFL Draft 2015: How good is Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota?
FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2014, file photo, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota looks down field for an open receiver during the first half of NCAA college football game against Michigan State in Eugene, Ore. Mariota is The Associated Press college football player of the year. He won the AP vote in the same landslide fashion he won the Heisman Trophy, receiving 49 of the 54 votes submitted by the APMark Eckel | For NJ Advance Media By Mark Eckel | For NJ Advance Media on January 29, 2015 at 8:43 AM, updated January 29, 2015 at 9:06 AMEagles head coach Chip Kelly, who recruited him and coached him at Oregon, isn't Marcus Mariota's only fan in the NFL ranks.According to a long-time executive in personnel for another NFC team, with an impeccable track record of evaluating quarterbacks, Mariota is the best player in the draft and one of the best quarterbacks to come out of the college ranks in years."He's not as good as (Andrew) Luck,'' the executive said of the Colts' current quarterback. "Luck was the best I've scouted in years. But over the past five, six years, he's the second best.''Mariota, 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, has been the subject of trade rumors involving Kelly and the Eagles, who currently own the 20th pick in the draft. The thought of him joining his old coach strikes a little fear into the personnel guru."That would be something,'' he said of a Kelly/Mariota reunion. "That quarterback in that offense. It could be pretty scary. There's no doubt Chip wants him. It's perfect. It's just a matter of can he get him.''According to the long-time NFL evaluator, it doesn't matter where Mariota lands he's going to be good."People are saying that system quarterback stuff,'' he said. "That cracks me up. This kid is extremely talented. He's exactly what you want. If you take him and you don't play that system, you should. I mean, the system works.''Last fall for the National Runner-Up Ducks, Mariota completed 68 percent of his passes for 4,454 yards with 42 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also ran for 770 yards and another 15 touchdowns.So where does he think Mariota is going to get selected?"If (Jacksonville) Blake Bortles was the No. 3 pick last year,'' he said. "This kid has to be No. 1. There is no comparison between the two.''Or with any quarterback in this draft, even Florida State's Jameis Winston, who completed 305 of 467 passes for 3,907 yards and had 28 touchdowns and 18 interceptions last fall."Winston is over rated,'' he said of the Florida State quarterback. "Forget all the off the field stuff, if you can, show me a quarterback who turns over the ball like that who has made it in the NFL?''What about the rest of this year's crop of quarterbacks?UCLA's Brett Hundley: "He's bad,'' the executive said.Colorado State's Garrett Grayson: "No,'' was the response.Baylor's Bryce Petty: "Not good,'' he said.Oregon State's Sean Mannion: "Terrible,'' was the one-word reply.Follow Mark Eckel on Twitter at @MarkEckel08. Find NJ.com Sports on Facebook.Contact Mark Eckel at [email protected].
