Maybe former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston being picked by the Bucs at No. 1 in the 2015 draft isn’t such a lock after all.
Much like Winston a few weeks ago, the Bucs are hosting Oregon’s Marcus Mariota for a visit at their facility on Monday morning, the team confirmed on its website.
If Mariota’s visit mimics Winston’s, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner is likely to sit down with many, if not all, of the team’s top executives. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Bucs general manager Jason Licht, director of player personnel Jon Robinson and quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian all attended Mariota’s pro day workout in Oregon last Thursday.
After seeing him throw at his pro day and the NFL combine, the team is certainly familiar with his physical capabilities. Now, during he’ll get the chance to make a further impression on the team’s brass during his visit in efforts to convince the team that he should be the No. 1 pick.
Mariota, who threw for 105 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions in three seasons as Oregon's starter, received high marks at the combine, but many were underwhelmed with his performance at Oregon’s pro day. Mariota himself admitted that the workout was just “okay.”
“I thought it went okay. There were some misthrows here and there,” Mariota said following the workout. “I think it’s a little different than a game. To have the entire focus be on you, especially for me, it’s a little different. I think coming out, I think there were a little bit of butterflies, but that’s okay, that’s natural.”
The Bucs have the No. 1 pick for the first time since 1987 and upgrading at the quarterback position appears to be the team’s priority after last year’s disastrous 2-14 campaign. Winston is widely viewed as the better and more pro-ready prospect of the two. Still, the Bucs will do their due diligence to ensure they make the right choice.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
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