I realize I'll take a lot of flak for this, but hear me out. If Bortles and Mariota were both coming out at the same time, which would we have picked? I believe it would be Mariota. So if given the first pick in the next draft, why not grab the better option to lead this team for the next 15 years? I realize it means going through another season with a rookie QB, but if you take the long-range view, would we be better off?

Alternatively, there will be several teams willing to give multiple draft picks for the chance to draft this guy.

Which direction should we go?

---

I don't think its clear who would have been ranked higher.


We also don't know how everyone inside truly feels about bortles at this point.


Chances are if they have a good feeling about him, they'll build around him and give him every chance to excel.

---

Coughlin when asked if winning will be a focus: "What the hell else is there? This is nice and dandy, but winning is what all this is about."

Dont be fooled by Mariotta as an NFL prospect.  

---

________________________________________________
Scouting well is all that matters.  Draft philosophy is all fluff.

Two points there.

 

We don't currently have the first pick. Tampa does, so you point is moot anyway.

 

And we can hope all we want for some RGIII like cache of picks. But that had never happened before and is not likely to happen again.

---

;

;

Dont be fooled by Mariotta as an NFL prospect.  

 

I think some are seriously overvaluing him.

 

I don't see an elite prospect when I watch him.

 

Great athlete, smart guy. But when I watch him, his receivers are wide open. Last weekend against Arizona, I didn't think he looked very good when Arizona forced him to throw under pressure.

---

;

;

Not RG3 style, but swapping firsts this year and taking a teams first next year, like the Cle/Buf trade for Watkins would be awesome.

---

IT WAS ALWAYS THE JAGS

Alternatively, there will be several teams willing to give multiple draft picks for the chance to draft this guy.

 

Based on what?

---

Based on what?

Maybe this?



Entering Oregon’s matchup with Florida State in one College Football Playoff semifinal, Mariota has completed 68.3 percent of his pass attempts for 3,783 yards and 38 touchdowns. He leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing efficiency (186.33), yards per attempt (10.2) and is the only quarterback in the nation to throw for at least 2,100 yards with fewer than three (2) interceptions.


Mariota’s progression as a passer has distracted attention from his running prowess. The 6-foot-4, 219-pounder excels at evading oncoming rushers, making defenders miss in the open field and keeping plays alive outside the pocket. On a team that ranks first in the Pac-12 in rushing yards per attempt, Mariota is the second-leading rusher behind only prodigious freshman tailback Royce Freeman, and 14 of his Pac-12 record 53 touchdowns have come on the ground.

---

That means nothing in relation to where he will be drafted.

---

That means nothing in relation to where he will be drafted.

???????

---

You think college stats matter?

---

Maybe this?



Entering Oregon’s matchup with Florida State in one College Football Playoff semifinal, Mariota has completed 68.3 percent of his pass attempts for 3,783 yards and 38 touchdowns. He leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing efficiency (186.33), yards per attempt (10.2) and is the only quarterback in the nation to throw for at least 2,100 yards with fewer than three (2) interceptions.


Mariota’s progression as a passer has distracted attention from his running prowess. The 6-foot-4, 219-pounder excels at evading oncoming rushers, making defenders miss in the open field and keeping plays alive outside the pocket. On a team that ranks first in the Pac-12 in rushing yards per attempt, Mariota is the second-leading rusher behind only prodigious freshman tailback Royce Freeman, and 14 of his Pac-12 record 53 touchdowns have come on the ground.

stop posting please

---

stop posting please

Sure pal

---

You think college stats matter?

Duhhh, yes.......they did for Luck. What would you suggest? Eye color? Shoe size?

---

Duhhh, yes.......they did for Luck

 

wow

---

I don't think mariota is overvalued. He's a QB. There were rumors last year that he might have been the first guy off the board.


He has the athletic ability and he usually makes the smart play. I have seen him occasionally make horrible decision throws when he faces constant pressure instead of throwing the ball away.


People compare him to kaep, I think he's a much better passer. If at worst he is a smarter, more accurate kaep, then you would expect some team to take him first overall for sure, especially with a weak QB class.

---

Coughlin when asked if winning will be a focus: "What the hell else is there? This is nice and dandy, but winning is what all this is about."

"Long range view".. I find this phrase funny because that's exactly what we've been told to do currently and everyone is soiling them selves. Let's say we pick Mariotta and understand we have to have patience with a rookie QB. Oh wait a second.......

---

I don't think mariota is overvalued. He's a QB. There were rumors last year that he might have been the first guy off the board.


He has the athletic ability and he usually makes the smart play. I have seen him occasionally make horrible decision throws when he faces constant pressure instead of throwing the ball away.


People compare him to kaep, I think he's a much better passer. If at worst he is a smarter, more accurate kaep, then you would expect some team to take him first overall for sure, especially with a weak QB class.

 

I have seen the Kaepernick one too and it makes zero sense. Kaepernick has a cannon for an arm, Mariota does not. They are not much alike other than they are both good athletes and have similar skin tone.

---

;

;

I don't think mariota is overvalued. He's a QB. There were rumors last year that he might have been the first guy off the board.


He has the athletic ability and he usually makes the smart play. I have seen him occasionally make horrible decision throws when he faces constant pressure instead of throwing the ball away.


People compare him to kaep, I think he's a much better passer. If at worst he is a smarter, more accurate kaep, then you would expect some team to take him first overall for sure, especially with a weak QB class.

 

I agree, he is better than Kaepernick. Significantly. 

 

I am not opposed to the Jags drafting Mariota, despite having Bortles here already. 

 

Ideally, I'd rather deal the pick for a windfall of draft choices (if possible), but if thats not able to be executed, I'd be fine with the Jags drafting Mariota. Adam2012 said in another thread that he don't want to hear about the years that we passed on Roethlisberger or Rodgers because we already had Leftwich, but well - thats the point and thats the lesson they need to learn from that. If you don't learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it and I guess thats what he wants. 

---

I doubt Caldwell care about who the Jaguars took in 2004

---

;

;