The NFL fans were looking forward to the NLD draft when they got to see their favorite teams choose college players. The NFL draft was on a cool thursday night in Chicago and teams were looking to draft the next NFL star.
The pick that the whole world was looking at was Tampa Bay’s. Why? Because they held the 1st overall pick in the draft. With this pick, the Bucs picked up FSU star Jameis Winston. But, before we move on about the 2nd overall pick, the rumor mill swirled around this. This is due to the fact that many wanted Marcus Mariota’s talent. There were rumors that he would go to the Bears, Browns, Titans, and even the Eagles. Amid all the controversy, Mariota was drafted by the Tennessee Titans.
Jameis Winston for the Bucs was quite the risk due to his past off-the-field incidents, where he shoplifted, vandalized, and allegedly sexually assaulted a classmate. People questioned his maturity, but he has come out to say that he has changed. On the other side, Marcus Mariota was the safer choice due to having no incidents or anything that could question his maturity. The only issue was that scouts thought that he was not as technically gifted, or not as a high a football IQ, as Winston. Mariota is a mobile QB who can scramble out of the pocket and run quite well, while Winston is more of a pocket QB who has an amazing football IQ. The only thing that held Mariota from being the 1st overall pick was how his transition to the NFL would be compared to Winston.
Overall, the draft went well and many teams picked exciting prospects that NFL fans are pumped to see play in the big leagues. The transition between college and the NFL is a big one, and teams are hoping they have found diamonds in the rough.
