Marcus Mariota's Draft Stock: What Flaws Concern Scouts Most

Marcus Mariota is one of the top two quarterback prospects in the NFL draft and a strong candidate to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' selection with the No. 1 pick.

But just like any prospect coming out of college, there are some concerns about his game. Mariota is not the next Andrew Luck, and he's far from a flawless prospect.

So what aspects of his game raise the biggest red flags?

This article isn't meant to disparage Mariota in any way, but let's focus on the negatives for a moment to better understand what his limitations may be at the next level and what concerns could cause him to slide on some draft boards.

Reading the Defense

Mariota clearly has a strong grasp on Oregon's playbook—a fact that is a positive check mark on his resume— but little is asked of him in terms of reading the opposing defense.

This is one of the first points brought up by his detractors, and it is true—to an extent.

Mariota does read the defense before the snap, as do all quarterbacks. Even in an offense that is described by some as gimmicky, he needs to see how the defense is lined up so he is prepared for blitzes and coverages. He clearly does this and even audibles at times to adjust to the defensive formation.

Where he is lacking in his defensive fluency, however, is after the snap.

On certain plays, such as the read option, Mariota is proficient at making strong decisions based on defensive movement. But his experience reading defenses from the pocket is limited. 

In the NFL, Mariota will face defenses that do a much more efficient job of disguising their blitzes and coverages, forcing him to make adjustments after the snap. Oregon's offense hasn't adequately prepared him for this due to the high percentage of quick throws designed to hit open receivers within one or two seconds of the snap.

It's certainly reasonable to expect Mariota to develop these skills at the next level, but it is a concern teams will have about his NFL-readiness as a rookie.

Deep Accuracy

Mariota has a quick release and frequently fires strikes to his receivers in Oregon's fast-paced passing attack. However, things tend to fall apart when he's asked to hit receivers further down the field.

The clip below shows him overthrowing an open receiver from a perfectly clean pocket. 

DraftBreakdown.com

This is an issue that shows up throughout Mariota's film, and it is somewhat concerning because it's difficult to pinpoint a reason why he struggles. 

If a quarterback struggles with accuracy but displays inconsistent footwork or a quirky release, a coach can reasonably expect to fix the issue. Mariota, however, shows consistent mechanics, making it more difficult to address this concern from a coaching perspective.

Durability

Mariota played through an MCL injury during the 2013 season, demonstrating his toughness. And he's managed to avoid any serious injuries throughout his career.

However, due to his relatively slight frame (he's listed at 6'4", 214 pounds) and the fact that he is a weapon on the run, there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about his ability to hold up in the NFL.

"

Phil Savage: "I'm concerned about Mariota's durability long term, since he is a running QB."

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 17, 2015"

This area of concern is more of an unknown, and one that's unlikely to dramatically influence his place on a team's draft board, but it is a red flag teams will have to consider.

These are likely to be the three primary areas of concern teams will address with Mariota when they first meet with him at the NFL scouting combine. He is clearly an intelligent player on and off the field, so he will likely say all the right things when he's asked.

But these concerns will linger over his draft stock and will be the primary areas of focus for the coaching staff that ends up with him after April's draft.