NFL Draft 2015: Updated Order, Predictions for Where Top QBs Will Land

A football team has 11 players on the field at a time, but the other 10 guys on an offense often don't really matter, no matter how good they are, if a team doesn't have a talented quarterback.

And that means that few things are more intriguing than speculating on where the top quarterbacks will be drafted each year. Below, I'll speculate on where the top guys will land this year, along with providing an updated draft order.

Pick	Team
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2	Tennessee Titans
3	Jacksonville Jaguars
4	Oakland Raiders
5	Washington Redskins
6	New York Jets
7	Chicago Bears
8	Atlanta Falcons
9	New York Giants
10	St. Louis Rams
11	Minnesota Vikings
12	Cleveland Browns
13	New Orleans Saints
14	Miami Dolphins
15	San Francisco 49ers
16	Houston Texans
17	San Diego Chargers
18	Kansas City Chiefs
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)
20	Philadelphia Eagles
21	Cincinnati Bengals
22	Pittsburgh Steelers
23	Detroit Lions
24	Arizona Cardinals
25	Carolina Panthers
26	Baltimore Ravens
27	Dallas Cowboys
28	Denver Broncos
29	Indianapolis Colts
30	Green Bay Packers
31	New England Patriots
32	Seattle Seahawks

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon Ducks

Assuming Marcus Mariota enters the 2015 NFL draft—and it's hard to imagine he won't do just that—he should be the top player off the board this year. Yes, Jameis Winston is the more traditional option at the position and could end up being the better pro player, but you have to think outside of the box with Mariota.

While a lot of folks see Colin Kaepernick in his game, I see Russell Wilson. I see a player who makes smart decisions. I see a player who extends plays and scrambles when it's necessary, not at every single opportunity. I see a humble leader. I see a few more inches (6'4") than Wilson (5'11") has. I see a player who has continued to grow each year at Oregon. 

If Tampa is smart, it'll select Mariota and build an offense around his abilities. Mariota doesn't need to run a fast-pace, spread-option attack like he had at Oregon, but he does need a team to build a system around him that suits his ability like Seattle has done with Wilson. Tampa should be that team.

But time will tell. 

6. New York Jets: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

So much could happen between the time the Bucs and New York Jets pick. The Tennessee Titans could select Winston. A team could move up the draft to nab him. Washington could decide that Robert Griffin III and Jay Gruden aren't the right mix, trade Griffin and select Winston at No. 5. 

But I still think the most likely scenario is that Winston will drop to No. 6, and the Jets will scoop him up.

I think teams will be concerned by potential character issues stemming from Winston's time at Florida State. I think Tennessee will identify a ton of other needs that need addressing and will give Zach Mettenberger the chance to prove he can be the man. I don't think Dan Snyder will give up on RG3 after his exciting rookie season and will hope he can capture that lightning in a bottle again.

And I don't think there is any way the Jets can pass on him. The team is starting over with a new head coach and general manager next season, and landing a franchise quarterback—something Geno Smith has proved he isn't likely to be—has to be a priority.

Winston comes with risks, and the vicious New York media will scrutinize his every move. But his talent is unmistakable, and his potential to be a star is going to be too tantalizing for the Jets to pass on. 

52. Philadelphia Eagles: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Because the quarterback class in this year's draft is so top heavy, you could see a player like Brett Hundley shoot way up the board and land in the first round. Of course, it's hard to see where he would be a fit early in the draft.

The highest he could possibly go, one would guess, is No. 6 to the Jets if Mariota and Winston go with the first two picks. But that seems like a major reach.

In the first round, then, the two teams that seem most likely to consider Hundley are the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles. But Hundley doesn't seem like a great fit for Bill O'Brien's offense, while the Eagles have major defensive issues to address and do have Nick Foles returning from injury, meaning quarterback perhaps isn't the top priority.

But it should be a priority. Foles regressed this season when he did play, and it's arguable whether he's a great fit for Kelly's system in the first place. If Hundley slips to the Eagles in the second round, Kelly would be hard pressed to pass on him a second time. Hundley would certainly make the Eagles read-option far harder to defend given his athleticism, and he would also push Foles for the starting gig in the preseason. 

It's a win-win for the Eagles, in other words. Well, unless they do something crazy like trade the farm to move up and draft Mariota. This is Kelly we're talking about, after all—you never quite know what is coming next.