The top two quarterback prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft, Marcus Mariota of Oregon and Jameis Winston of Florida State, are at the NFL Combine and took part in the 40-yard dash on Saturday. Despite the fact that neither Mariota nor Winston can actually address their big issues at the combine due to the nature of said issues -- Mariota's lack of experience in a pro-style offense and Winston's off-the-field problems -- all eyes are on the both of them Saturday.
Marcus Mariota smoked Jameis Winston in the 40-yard dash
In a footrace over 40 yards, Marcus Mariota beats Jameis Winston. So if that’s what NFL teams care about (it’s not), Mariota wins!
If the 40-yard dash is any indication, then Mariota clearly has the leg-up. He absolutely smoked Winston in that category. Mariota posted an unofficial time of 4.52 in his 40-yard dash, while Winston was much slower with his fastest time being 4.97 seconds. Some have already made the comparison between Winston and Hobart College offensive lineman Ali Marpet, given that Marpet posted an official 4.98 40 time, leading all offensive linemen.
SB Nation presents: Marcus Mariota torches Jameis Winston in the 40
You can find Mariota’s 40-yard dash here, and Winston’s here. But if you want them both in one vine, hey, we’ve got that too!
Mariota also posted a vertical leap of 36 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 1 inch. Winston only managed 28.5 inches in the vertical leap and a broad jump of 8 feet, 7 inches. Obviously, Mariota is showing that he’s the better athlete of the two, and Winston may be showing a bit worse than expected of him, but none of the three drills mentioned thus far are considered hugely important for quarterbacks.
Especially quarterbacks like Winston, who gets praise for his timing and pocket presence in Florida State’s pro-style offense. He’s surely negatively impacting his stock for some, but for the majority of teams looking to draft one of these two players early in the first round, these drills are not going to tip the scales either way.
Here’s a full look at Mariota’s 40:
Here’s Winston’s 40:
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