Best Twitter Buzz as Attention Turns to NFL Draft 2015

Now that the Super Bowl has concluded and the offseason begins, all heads turn toward the 2015 NFL draft. The months coming up to the draft are so dense with anticipation, conversation and analysis that it can be hard to keep up. Luckily, Twitter exists, and it allows us to see every opinion, mock draft and debate that seems necessary. 

Mock drafts are in style at the moment and will be for a while to come. However, the lack of NFL Scouting Combine results creates a much more precarious landscape, with analysts going off of what they've seen from this past college football season.

Dan Kader of SB Nation:

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:

Todd McShay of ESPN:

The other topic of choice for Twitter coming up to the draft is which quarterback will go first, Oregon's Marcus Mariota or FSU's Jameis Winston. This happens nearly every year, where a position battle near the top of the first round takes over the conversation for periods at a time.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik weighed in and said that if he were making the pick, it would be Mariota:

Rip City Kid, a prominent Portland sports-related account, also thinks Mariota is the best choice:

Mock Drafts

Mock drafts this early in the offseason are fun. They are fun, interesting and thought-provoking. Though they are rarely worth looking at as respectable predictions, especially after the first 10 picks of the first round. It's nearly impossible to look at teams' needs and try and match which players fit where.

However, mock drafts get everyone in the mindset that the draft is around the corner. They create conversation and analysis, which is typically a good thing, but sometimes cause a pointless chaos.

For example, here are reactions from Jets fan Taylor Griek and Philadelphia sports reporter after ESPN's Todd McShay's mock draft predicted Mariota going sixth overall to the Jets:

If there's anything that mock drafts bring to the table, it's that they make the wait coming up to the draft a bit more bearable.

Winston or Mariota?

The debate over whether Winston or Mariota is the QB to pick if you're the Buccaneers or the Tennessee Titans is raging like a storm.

	Passing Yards	TDs	Interceptions	Rating
Mariota	8119	73	8	171.8
Winston	7964	65	28	163.3

Personally, while Winston has worse numbers than Mariota, he's still the better pick for the Bucs. 

Winston is incredible when it comes to producing big plays, which is crucial for the Bucs. He can extend plays, throw bullets to receivers in tight spaces and can keep a team in the game even when down a score or two.

Mariota also doesn't have the marketing potential that Winston has. For a team that is looking to fill their stadium and attract the attention of the state of Florida, Winston is the better overall pick because of his time at Florida State.

This isn't to take away from Mariota. His three years at Oregon have both been incredible with numbers that are consistently better than Winston's. However, the best choice for the Bucs from a competitive and financial standpoint is Winston.  

The 2015 NFL draft has brought a wave of discussion, as it does every year. While it may be a little early for mock drafts, they still hold some value and are worth discussing. 

As for Mariota and Winston, that conversation will only be resolved with time, not when the players are actually drafted. That'll be years from now, probably, but speculation is fun.

All stats were found at www.Sports-Reference.com, unless otherwise stated.

Evan Reier is a first-year journalism major at the University of Alabama and a member of Bleacher Report's APSM program. Follow Evan on Twitter at @evanreier.