NFL draft positional rankings: Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota at QB?

Leading up to the NFL draft on April 30-May 2, Shutdown Corner will examine each position, rank the top players at each spot and try to identify some top sleepers, sliders and lesser-known gems.

As was the case in the drafts of 2008 (Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco), 2005 (Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers) and 1998 (Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf), this year’s quarterback class is viewed roundly as a two-QB field heading into Draft Day.

There’s Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, and there’s everyone else.

Again, that’s the perception right now, and though history showed that Leaf was a far bigger bust than, say, Matt Hasselbeck, Brian Griese or Charlie Batch — other ’98 draft quarterbacks — we have little reason at this moment to expect much change.

Could Winston or Mariota flame out in the NFL? Absolutely. And perhaps there is a Hasselbeck or a Griese in a group made up of Bryce Petty, Garrett Grayson, Brett Hundley and Sean Mannion. But as things stand right now, there’s a wide gap between Winston and Mariota and the remainder of the field.

Winston and Mariota couldn’t be much different. Winston is a fiery, engaging and chaotic leader who fits the classic NFL pocket mold. Mariota is the new breed of quarterback, cutting his teeth in the college spread offense that’s starting to leak into the NFL, and his stoic personality is far different from his Florida State counterpart.

Both could be quality NFL starters — they’re just nothing alike.

We believe, based on conversations with multiple teams, that there could be as many as five quarterbacks taken in the first 50 selections. Winston and Mariota are top-10 picks, and they could go 1-2. Don’t be stunned if at least two out of three of the Petty-Grayson-Hundley group land in Round 2, perhaps with one even sneaking into the final few picks of Round 1.

It’s not the most inspiring group of QB talent we’ve seen in recent years, but it does feature two very intriguing options at the top, plus a few smaller-school options later in the draft who might be worth cultivating. 

SLEEPER
Heinecke

His gaudy passing totals at FCS Old Dominion fell off a bit last season, but some of that can be attributed to a right shoulder he suffered early in the season and played gamely through. Heinecke does not possess textbook size or arm strength, and he likely will have to spend time adjusting to playing under center after operating in a predominantly shotgun offense. But he has good football smarts, a quick release and nice touch on his throws and could be a nice project to groom for a team such as the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs or New England Patriots that ask their quarterbacks to get rid of the ball quickly out of spread formations.

OVERRATED
Hundley

Hundley has almost everything you’re looking for, including size, athleticism, arm strength and character. But Hundley can be a frustrating player to watch, one who seldom made tangible gains in his game despite three years of starting for the Bruins. A lot of his production was inflated in their short-pass, yards-after-catch offense, and he struggled when forced to make full-field reads from under center. More than one scout has noted the comparisons to Jason Campbell, a college winner with traits who teased but never turned into a quality NFL starter.

SMALL-SCHOOL WONDER
Chris Bonner, Colorado State-Pueblo

The mystery man from a seven-year-old Division-II program that has never produced an NFL draft pick has generated some scouting buzz. He’s 6-7 and 222 pounds and has worked from the shotgun and under center. Scouts are non wowed by his arm talent or athleticism, but there might be enough skill to warrant a camp invite. Bonner’s toughness was on display this past season in leading his school to a D-II championship.

COULD RISE IN DRAFT
Grayson

He doesn’t fit every system and has been nicked by scouts for his smallish build, injury history and slightly slow head clock, but Grayson also has a good foundation to work with. He’s comfortable throwing from the pocket, has great feel of pro-type routes and is notably tough, smart and committed. Grayson is said to be a lead-by-example type who might be worth developing, but his window — he’s already 24 years old — might be a bit shorter than you’d like. It wouldn’t be stunning to see him go in the top half of the second round, and he’ll be off the board by the end of the third.

LATE-ROUND STEAL
Bennett

Although he was something of a hot mess at the Senior Bowl at times, Bennett still opened eyes — first by taking a red eye after receiving a very late invitation to the game, nearly stepping off the plane and onto the practice field, and then in displaying some real arm strength and athleticism. The man who was beaten out by Mariota at Oregon transferred to Southeastern Louisana and shattered school records. He’d be an intriguing fit for a spread-based offense that can afford to develop his talent over two or three years.

PLAYER WHO WILL GO UNDRAFTED BUT SHOULDN’T
Bridge

Remember Aaron Brooks? Bridge bears some similarity to the strong-armed, athletic and erratic quarterback who started 93 NFL games (and threw 92 interceptions) and could be worth a late gamble. Bridge’s accuracy is even more of a worry than that of Brooks, a 56-percent career passer, and he might be 2-3 years away from even contributing. But Bridge has some really intriguing talents for a patient team that might be willing to let him develop over multiple seasons.

IDEAL FIT
Mariota to Chargers

We’ve said for weeks that the Chargers are looking big picture with the future of their franchise hanging in the balance and a move to Los Angeles perhaps in the offing. Mariota has some tremendous tangible and intangibles and could handle being the quarterback who perhaps follows Philip Rivers for the Chargers. Mike McCoy is willing to work with different style quarterbacks and tailor his offense to their strengths, and offensive coordinator Frank Reich can help clean up Mariota’s footwork and teach him how to work through NFL progressions. This connection makes so much sense on so many levels.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm