While he understands that work needs to be done to his game as he enters the NFL, Oregon's Marcus Mariota is confident he can become a franchise quarterback in the league.
Marcus Mariota knows that the transition to the NFL will be an adjustment, but it's something he believes he can handle.
Since playing in the National Championship Game, Mariota's been working with San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers and Cleveland Browns quarterback coach Kevin O'Connell to help him get a jumpstart on the NFL process.
"[I'm] learning as much as I can, learning how my drops time up with the route concepts and how my feet are going to help me go through my progressions," he said in Februrary at the NFL Combine. "All this stuff is little things that I can continue to work on that will help my adjustment."
Mariota ran the spread offense to near perfection during his three seasons as Oregon's starting quarterback, throwing for nearly 11,000 yards and 105 touchdowns to just 14 interceptions.
The Honolulu native also made plays with his legs, rushing for 2,237 yards on 337 carries with 29 touchdowns.
During his junior season, Mariota threw for 4,454 yards and 42 touchdowns to just four interceptions while also scoring 15 rushing touchdowns. He was named the Heisman Trophy winner following the season.
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, he showed off his speed, running the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds.
While the comparisons are out there to other quick quarterbacks who can tuck it and run, Mariota doesn't like matching up his game to another signal caller's.
"I try to make myself the best player I can be," he said. "You really limit yourself if you compare yourself to others. That's something I was taught at a young age. For me I just really focus on myself and make sure I can be the best player I can be."
Check out these photos of Marcus Mariota, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback out of the University of Oregon.
Unlike recent seasons where top quarterbacks have declined to throw at the combine, Mariota and Jameis Winston, the highest rated quarterbacks in this year's draft, showed off their timing and accuracy.
Although the drills didn't involve coverage or the opportunity to progress through reads, Mariota showed his football acumen through interviews with teams.
"It's not just blurting out all the football information you know. It's kind of processing and showing how you think and how you progress in your reads," he said. "Just showing what you were asked to do at whatever school you're at. Hopefully they'll believe in what you're saying and give you an opportunity."
RELATED LINKS:
--D. Hall 'I'm Ready To Prove Everyone Wrong'
--Washington Redskins 2015 Mock Madness
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