Chicago Bears Mock Draft 5.0: Marcus Mariota Enters The Picture
Feb 21, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota throws a pass during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
With the Chicago Bears having the seventh overall selection in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and two quarterbacks expected to be taken within the first 10 picks of the draft, it was only a matter of time before a mock draft had the Bears taking one of them.
With the seventh overall selection in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select quarterback Marcus Mariota, Oregon.
In the first four versions of Da Windy City’s Chicago Bears’ mock draft, I had the Bears selecting a defensive player with the seventh overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft.
What changed?
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What changed is that Marcus Mariota was on the board when I was drafting with the Bears. The Bears have a need at the quarterback position. Therefore, above any other position, the quarterback position should have the highest priority in the draft. Meaning, if Mariota is available for the Bears in the first round, then the team would be hard-pressed not to take 2014 Heisman Trophy winner.
Mariota may not be capable of starting right away for the Bears, but given the right coaching, his long-term outlook is bright. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Mariota to Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers. Furthermore, one AFC quarterbacks coach told Zierlein that he would not bet against Mariota.
“What I don’t think the fans and media understand is that all these guys like Mariota, (Johnny) Manziel and (Bryce) Petty are all pure projection players. We can see certain characteristics on tape, but they don’t play the same game that we play in the NFL so we can’t see things we need to on tape. We have to make calculated guesses. I know this, I wouldn’t bet against Mariota. He’s a good football player.”
With Mariota in the fold, the Bears would be settled at the quarterback position for the long-term. Jay Cutler would ideally be the Bears’ starting quarterback in 2015, but after which, Mariota will be ready to take over.
Next: Round 2: Denzel Perryman