Re-Drafting the 2015 NFL Draft: Where do Winston and Mariota end up?
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Leonard Williams, DL, USC
Original Pick: Jameis Winston
I had a tough time putting Jameis Winston number one because of his inconsistent play. He has shown that he can play in this league and has had some good games but getting benched last season for Ryan Fitzpatrick is a deal-breaker for me. With that in mind, I’m taking the best player in the draft, defensive lineman Leonard Williams.
Williams been solid for the Jets since coming into this league totaling 17 sacks over four years. Williams would pair well next to Gerald McCoy on the defensive line which also consists of defensive ends Jacquies Smith and William Gholston. I can see this lineup creating havoc against my Falcons twice a year. In 2015 alone these four players would have combined for 21.5 sacks.
Tampa Bay has always been a team that has been built around a solid defense first and they should have looked at this pick by taking the best player on the board. Williams would have made McCoy a better player and they would have made a great duo for years to come.
The Bucs could have waited until the later rounds to take a flyer on a quarterback, a guy like Trevor Siemian would have made sense in Tampa Bay.
2. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Original Pick: Mariota
Tennessee has holes across the board but with the Bucs passing on a quarterback, they have their pick of the two best and stay with Mariota. Even with Mariota getting hurt, this team has made the playoffs with a strong cast around him. They are better now with Mariota than they would have been if Jake Locker, Zach Mettenberger or Charlie Whitehurst were their quarterback.
While Mariota isn’t an elite quarterback, I just can’t fathom the Titans looking in another direction. Mariota’s stats are not fantastic but the Titans haven’t needed him to be Tom Brady either. He hasn’t had a 4,000 yard or 30 touchdown season in his career but four straight seasons as a starter is consistency at the position which they lacked for some time.
Between Whitehurst, Mettenberger and Locker in 2014, the year prior to Mariota, they combined for a 2-14 record and neither quarterback really separated themselves from one another. While Mariota has a near .500 winning percentage, he’s at least gotten the team into the postseason.