The Buccaneers would be foolish to pick Jameis Winston over Marcus MariotaBy NATE SCOTT The NFL Draft is in two weeks, which means it’s time for rife speculation with little to no actual knowledge. Alright!The latest report from ESPN’s Ron Jaworski has the Buccaneers taking Oregon’s Marcus Mariota with the first pick instead of Florida State’s Jameis Winston. Is that actually what’s going to happen? Who knows. But for now, at least, there seems to be the consensus that Mariota will go first overall. (Update: When I say “consensus,” I meant consensus at ESPN based on their SportsCenter reports this morning. Lot of NFL writers, including many at ESPN, still tab Winston as the first pick. Apologies.)This is smart, and should have been the deal from the beginning.Why? Mariota is going to be a better pro quarterback than Winston. This is going beyond any off-the-field stuff, which I’ll let someone else write. I’m talking purely on the field, I think Mariota will be better than Winston. Here’s why:1. Mariota doesn’t turn the ball overLast season, Mariota threw for 42 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The year before that he threw for 31 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The year before that he threw for 32 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.Last year Winston threw for 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. The year before that he tossed 10 picks. It took Winston midway through the Florida game last year to throw as many picks in a season as Mariota did in his entire college career.Now, of course the Florida State offense was geared to take more shots downfield, and the Seminoles depended on Winston to carry the load on offense. He was always going to finish with more picks than Mariota. But that many more picks?You can’t turn the ball over in the NFL. You just can’t. Mariota has shown that he doesn’t turn the ball over. NFL teams like that.2. Mariota is super mobile, which helps because the Bucs can’t block anybodyBoth of these quarterbacks can run, but Mariota possesses the elite speed that can break down NFL defenses. The Oregon QB smoked Winston in the 40, which doesn’t really matter in terms of what an NFL QB will do, but will help the Bucs in the short term because they’re going to need a quarterback who can get away from pressure.3. Mariota is also a winnerThe big argument you hear a lot with Jameis Winston is that he’s a winner. He gets it done.Well, what exactly was Mariota doing when he led Oregon to 36 wins in three years as the starting quarterback? Did he stumble into those wins? Was he less of a winner than Winston because his team lost games at different times of the year than Winston did? Actually, I can see Florida State fans answering me on Twitter, so ignore that last question.4. His ceiling is higherThe consensus among NFL draft scouts is that Jameis Winston is more ready for the NFL now. Mariota has the tools, but he’s a couple years away from competing at the top level of the NFL.So what? Its not like the Buccaneers are winning a Super Bowl next year. (Sorry, Tampa fans.) Get Mariota in there, give him a year or two to learn the game, then unleash him on the league.5. Chip Kelly says Mariota will win “multiple Super Bowls”According to Jaworski, Eagles coach Chip Kelly says Mariota will win “multiple Super Bowls.”Chip Kelly is hilarious and awesome. I have no idea what he’s doing with the Eagles but I don’t care. Don’t doubt this man.Listen, both Winston and Mariota could be great pros. Both could be busts. This isn’t an exact science. But right now, purely on the field, I give the slight edge to Mariota. I like that he’s fast, I like that he’s careful with the football, and I like what he could become.No one knows what’s going to happen on April 30, but if I were the Bucs, I’d take the kid from Oregon. http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/04/nfl-draft-jameis-winston-marcus-mariota-tampa-bay-buccaneers
