Marcus Mariota Scouting Report: Is He Falling?

Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) throws a touchdown pass during the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Book on Mariota

The scouting world fell in love with Mariota first and foremost for how magnificent of an athlete he is. He’s expected to run his 40-yard dash in the 4.4s at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine in May. They also like that he has a good enough arm to make any throw he would need to make in the NFL and that he throws well on the run.

Then the scouting world’s love for Mariota grew when they got to know who he was as a person. They see he’s a smart young man who’s humble and eager to learn with an unquestionable work ethic. They can’t help but root for him as they know he’ll be the first guy in the building and the last to leave.

What they don’t like is the simple system he comes from that’s based on fooling opposing defenses. He doesn’t throw into tight, NFL-type windows nor does he have too many progressions to go through. Then, they don’t like his accuracy as they notice he too often misses open targets down the field.