In the 2012 NFL Draft, Washington swung for the fences, trading its next two first-round picks and a second-round pick to move up and take quarterback Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 overall selection.
By the end of Griffin’s rookie season, the trade looked like a masterstroke. Led by Griffin, Washington swept to the NFC East title.
Since then . . . well, you know.
And as NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock sees it, Griffin’s injury woes and on-field struggles could have an effect on whether other clubs make similar draft-pick-heavy deals in the future.
“Because of what’s happened to that kid, both with injuries and the way he’s played, I think a lot of teams are very nervous about the perception on mortgaging your future,” Mayock said on a media conference call Monday, according to a transcript of his remarks from the league.
The consensus top quarterbacks in the 2015 draft — Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota — are surefire first-round selections. But Mayock, for his part, told reporters he isn’t convinced “either of these two guys you can mortgage your future on, unless you just completely understand the kid and buy into the kid a hundred percent and you’re willing to move up.”
The Eagles — led by former Oregon coach Chip Kelly — have long been speculated as a potential player for Mariota. However, the Eagles hold the No. 20 pick, making a trade-up the most likely path to getting in position for the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner.
As Mayock noted, at least one of the top quarterbacks will be available with the No. 2 overall selection, which conceivably puts Tennessee in a position to deal the pick for a package if it so chooses.
But Mayock doesn’t see the Titans netting a Rams-like bonanza.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a position player somebody moves up to get. It’s probably Marcus Mariota. And I don’t see the market that we had for RG3,” Mayock said.
