It's mock draft season again. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be two games out of first place, they're also two spots out of the first overall pick. So we get to talk draft, and look at mock drafts every week. Hurray, internet!
So here's your first mock draft of the year from Dan Kadar.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon
Whatever team that drafts Mariota will have to massage it's offense a little to fit his skill set. But, man, does Mariota have the type of skill set worth catering to. He's a stellar athlete for the position, but has better size than most mobile quarterbacks. He's still understanding the nuances of pocket awareness and down field accuracy, but Mariota profiles as a franchise quarterback.
With Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota both on the board, Kadar thinks the Bucs go with Mariota, simply because he doesn't have any off-field issues -- and Winston does. Can't say I disagree with that reasoning.
Mariota also fits what Lovie Smith wants at quarterback. He spent the entire offseason talking about mobility and athleticism at quarterback, the importance of being able to get some yards on the ground when plays break down. That's one reason why he prefers Josh McCown to Mike Glennon. Mariota's a better runner than Winston, as Winston's more in the mold of Ben Roethlisberger -- big, strong, capable of breaking tackles, not incapable of picking up yards sometimes, but not an explosive runner.
Of course, the ability to throw the ball is the most important attribute of any quarterback, but Mariota has that, too. He's not a polished, pocket quarterback, but he's accurate, has a quick release and throws the ball on timing. He'll have to get the timing and rhythm of the NFL down, but that's true of basically every college quarterback these days. Given the Bucs' structural problems at quarterback, Mariota, may be just what they need.