National Football League

Whisenhunt: Mariota will be Day 1 starter if Titans draft him

Published Mar. 24, 2015 12:41 p.m. ET

foxsports

By Vincent Frank

In a comment that could be misinterpreted to mean that the Tennessee Titans will select Marcus Mariota at No. 2 overall in the upcoming draft, head coach Ken Whisenhunt indicated that the team will start him should they select him at that spot.

"If (Mariota) comes to us at No. 2, he’s definitely going to be the Day 1 starter,” the Titans head coach told reporters. “I’m very impressed by Marcus."

In no way should this come as a surprise. If a team is willing to spend a top-five pick on a quarterback, that player should be a Day 1 starter.

The interesting dynamic in Tennessee is that the team already has a young quarterback in Zach Mettenberger and could very well look to trade out of that position with a quarterback-needy team.

That is what Whisenhunt could be angling for here by throwing praise Mariota’s way. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to have a good poker face.

With Jameis Winston slated to go No. 1 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Titans will have an opportunity to either double down on the quarterback position or find upgrades elsewhere on the field.

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