Marcus Mariota’s destination is NFL draft’s big mystery

Jay Asser 10:17 30/04/2015
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  • Young guns: Marcus Mariota (r) alongside fellow draft entrants Amari Cooper and Melvin Gordon with the Heisman Trophy.

    The intrigue of this year’s NFL draft starts at the top, but isn’t limited to the first few teams on the board.

    From the mystery of the second overall pick, to the loaded wide receiver class, to a possible superstar trade, there’s plenty of uncertainty heading into tonight’s first round (04:00, UAE time). Here are the main storylines to follow:

    Where will Mariota land?
    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear locked in on quarterback Jameis Winston with the first overall selection, but fellow gunslinger Marcus Mariota’s status is up in the air.

    The Tennessee Titans own the second pick and it’s not as if they have a franchise quarterback on the roster already, but they could get a major haul in a trade and use the ammo to plug other holes.

    Just by sheer association, the Philadelphia Eagles should be a team to watch out for in a possible trade because of the Mariota-Chip Kelly Oregon connection.

    The San Diego Chargers are also a wildcard as Philip Rivers’ situation looks to be very much unstable.

    Finally, the New York Jets, who sit sixth, could attempt to move up and get their man instead of taking the chance he falls to them.

    Will we see a repeat for WR?
    The wide receiver position went through a rookie revolution last year as Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr. and Kelvin Benjamin tore up the league as first-round picks.

    As the position’s top prospect, Amari Cooper will go early, with Kevin White and DeVante Parker soon following. Beyond the trio, any number of players could conceivably be taken in the opening round.

    There’s a chance though, that with such an abundance of quality receivers, teams could target the middle rounds to dip in.

    Will AP be on the move?
    There’s no desperation on the Minnesota Vikings’ part to trade Adrian Peterson, but if they can get enough value, they’ll consider pulling the trigger.

    The Dallas Cowboys have been rumoured for a while, especially with the loss of DeMarco Murray to free agency, but the more likely team to go after the All-Pro are the Arizona Cardinals who had a dismal running game last season.

    Off-the-field controversy aside, Peterson is still elite and can immediately revitalise an offence. 

    Who will gamble on a RB?
    It’s no secret the running back position is viewed differently in today’s game. No longer is the position being valued with early picks as teams are getting smarter about the cost versus relative worth.

    After 50 years of a running back being taken in the first round, the streak ended in 2013 and the new trend continued last year.

    Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley are both expected to end that run, but the question is which teams will take the chance.

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