2015 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Super Bowl Edition

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16. Houston Texans- Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Mariota mimics the catastrophic fall of Teddy Bridgewater, his 2014 predecessor as the regular season favorite to be the top overall pick. Make no mistake, Mariota is still a high-ceiling player whose exceptional mobility rivals that of star quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. With that said, he has consistency issues and is going to face an adjustment period as he attempts to adjust to a more complex offense than the one he ran at Oregon.

Houston doesn’t have a whole lot of major needs, and they seem to be a quarterback away from being competitive again. Mariota probably isn’t going to be ready to be a starter from day one, but once he falls to the latter half of the first round, it will be easier for a team to give him some time to develop. With Houston having numerous options at their disposal to bridge the gap, possibly including Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, Ryan Mallett, and Tom Savage, they can afford to give Mariota some time and ultimately unleash him at a later date. He has the size that Bill O’Brien seems to desire at the position, and once he’s ready he could certainly thrive in the Texans’ offense.

Next: 17. San Diego Chargers