ESPN NFL analyst Ron Jaworski is among a contingent of people around the league that believes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to choose Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft on April 30.
Jaworski, speaking to Philly Sports Talk on CSN last week, said that coaches are now taking closer looks at Mariota and Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, who has been considered to be the front runner for the top pick since February's NFL Scouting Combine.
"The latest I'm hearing now from my sources around the league, who are pretty wired in, is that he's going to go number one now to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers," said Jaworski on the program.
"Mariota's stock, remember it was quiet for a while? And there's a reason for that. There's a lull every year until about 30 days before the draft. Now the coaches get involved. Prior to that, it's the scouts, it's the roadies that are filling out the paper work. Now the coaches get involved. Now team owners get involved. Now general managers get involved. So you're starting to see, in my opinion, Winston's stock starting to slide a little bit and Mariota's stock starting to go up a little bit."
A Yahoo report also surfaced last week, saying that Bucs ownership will have the final say in the pick, no matter who it be.
After the pick is made, turn to Bright House Sports Network, channel 47/HD 1147, on April 30 at 8 p.m. for live coverage on Draft Day 2015, as we have reports from Tampa, Chicago, Bessemer, AL, with Jameis Winston, and your phone calls.