NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2015 NFL Draft: Pick By Pick Mock With Tampa Bay Buccaneers At No. 1

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By @rickstavig

Marcus Mariota, 2015 NFL Draft

Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

With the regular season now in the rearview mirror, it’s officially mock draft season. Yes, mock drafts are entirely and utterly useless. It’s all speculation loosely based on rumors and projections, with no mock draft ever being anywhere near perfect. It’s like making a bracket for the NCAA tournament: you’ll get a few right but you’ll never get them all right. Still, they’re fun to make, they’re fun to read, and it fuels hope for a good offseason and a better future for whomever you cheer for.

With that said, this mock draft series is predicated on who I would pick if I were the GM, not who I actually think they’ll pick. So with the first pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, who do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select?

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon.

This is a no brainer; a QB has to be taken with the first pick when there are talents like Mariota and Jameis Winston (FSU) on the board. Even if QB isn’t the Bucs biggest need (which it is), then you find someone who’s biggest need is QB and trade down for a kings ransom.

Why Mariota instead of Winston? I do think Winston has a better physical package in terms of stepping onto an NFL field and producing right away. I think he has a better frame and a stronger arm, and I love the fact that he’s been playing with NFL-talent in an NFL-style offense. It all should translate well. But Mariota, while he has further to go developmentally and in terms of adjusting to an NFL offense and making NFL reads, does have a slightly higher ceiling. Plus, he doesn’t come with a truckload of baggage like Winston (as if you don’t know already).

What about the guys already on the roster, Mike Glennon and Josh McCown? McCown was simply awful last year after a flash-in-the-pan 2013 season and will be 36 when the 2015 season starts. End of story there. Glennon still has untapped potential as a 6-foot 6, 25-year old with an NFL-caliber arm. It really wouldn’t surprise me to see him as a starting QB in this league someday. Thing is, he hasn’t shown enough yet to justify passing on two passers with the upside of Mariota or Winston.

Rick Stavig is an NFL Draft Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickstavig or add him to your network on Google+.

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