NFL Scouts Reportedly Favor Marcus Mariota over Jameis Winston for 2015 Draft

It's the morning of the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, and yet, here we are, talking about who might go first in 2015—just as Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman warned would be the case.

According to anonymous scouts who spoke with Pete Thamel of SI.com, the consensus in the league is that Oregon junior Marcus Mariota will be the top quarterback taken in the 2015 draft, while Florida State sophomore and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston reminds some people more of noted bust Vince Young.

"I'd take him over [Johnny] Manziel," said one scout of Mariota, who could have declared for the draft in 2014 but opted for a return to school. "He's more accurate. He's bigger and I think he's faster, not as elusive, but more durable. A lot of upside there."

A lot of upside, indeed. Mariota played through a sprained MCL in the latter part of last season, and even though it took a visible toll on his performance, he still finished the year with 3,663 passing yards, 715 rushing yards, 40 total touchdowns and just four interceptions.

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

Winston, meanwhile, has never lost a game in his college career and has the size (6'4"), mobility and arm talent to become a high draft pick.

Off-field concerns are beginning to cripple his stock, however, as his most recent citation for stealing crab legs from a supermarket comes on the heels of a much more serious sexual assault investigation last fall and even a few suspicious incidents before that.

"It's repeat behavior," said a NFL scout for a quarterback-hungry team, according to Thamel. "He's not learning from it. That's a problem."

That sentiment echoes what Freeman reported earlier this week, when he quoted an NFL scout saying: "We're talent whores. But we're not total whores. It's almost impossible, at this point, to trust Winston."

If he plans on declaring for the draft after his redshirt sophomore season, Winston has but 12 months left to win back that trust.

Follow Brian Leigh on Twitter: @BLeighDAT