It seems like Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has been a lock to be taken No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2015 NFL Draft for the past two months.
But what if the Bucs passed on Winston?
Just over two weeks out from draft day, NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes it might put Winston in an even better situation. In terms of how Winston would fit into an offensive system, Jeremiah says, he would be a better fit for the team picking right behind the Bucs at No. 2 overall.
"I like his fit in Tampa, but I could make a strong case that it's even a better fit for the Tennessee Titans," Jeremiah said on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft." "Ken Whisenhunt has coached Philip Rivers and Ben Roethelisberger -- those are two players I've compared Jameis Winston to in terms of his style of play. I would think he would fit seamlessly into that Whisenhunt offense.
"If he were to be there at No. 2, I don't think it would take very long to turn in that card, and Jameis Winston would be a Tennessee Titan."
It's not exactly impossible to think the Bucs would skip Winston and take Mariota -- they have worked out both quarterbacks extensively -- given Winston's issues off the field. That's one of the reasons why NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock recently moved Mariota to the top of his quarterback rankings, and there's little doubt that Mariota has plenty of potential at the next level.
The one holdup for Mariota is his learning curve, which is considered higher than Winston's, and that makes Mariota's fit at the next level a tad different.
"Marcus Mariota could fit with Ken Whisenhunt, but it's going to take the Titans and their offense adjusting to Mariota," Jeremiah said. "If you draft Jameis Winston, (you hand him) the playbook as it exists, and away you go. He could run everything in there. I don't think that's the case if they got somebody in there like Mariota."
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
