The second overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota has all it takes to be a future star and again received another compliment this time from Tennessee Titans wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson.
"He is deadly accurate. I am just giddy about his future going forward," Jefferson told ESPN.com
"He's the real deal. A couple years ago I was back in Detroit and when Matthew Stafford stepped into the huddle the first time, once I heard his voice and the way he called a play, I said, 'OK, that's a real one right there.' Same way with this one. He's real. He's got the goods," he added.
Jefferson worked with Stafford when he was the Detroit Lions also as a wide receivers coach before joining the Titans two years ago.
"No. 1, it's his accuracy. No. 2, he's come in and grasped the offense. And No. 3 is the way the guys respond to him, the way he's able to go in that huddle and take control," Jefferson stated discussing Mariota.
In the report, Jefferson said Mariota already has a great relationship with his receivers who are eager to play snaps with him because he can pass "right on the money."
Despite his great showing in the Titans' organized team activities this offseason, Mariota and the offense struggled Monday but he was able to bounce back during their practices on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In a report by The Tennessean, Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt said Mariota bouncing back is a great sign but is no longer surprising.
"There's adversity every day, but that never seems to faze him. That's one of the things you like about him. He has made plays every day," Whisenhunt stated.
Mariota addressed his struggles and said, "You are going to have good days and bad days, and you just have to take both with a grain of salt and find what you can do to get better and improve."
"You are going to go through some growing pains and that is going to build your season up, and you learn from it and get better," he added.
