One of the biggest storylines in the 2015 NFL Draft is whether the Philadelphia Eagles will make a move similar to the Robert Griffin III trade in order to pick Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
It makes perfect sense, given that the team still appears to be searching for a franchise guy behind center. Mariota also briefly played for Chip Kelly at Oregon.
The cost might be steep for the team to move up high enough from their current spot at No. 20 overall, but NFL Media analyst Curtis Conway thinks it could be worth it.
"For Chip Kelly, Marcus Mariota is Andrew Luck for him," Conway said Monday on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft." "The thing I love about Marcus playing for Chip is, when you look at those quarterbacks -- Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez -- they had immediate success when they stepped into that offense. In a quarterback-driven league ... you need a quarterback to win. Chip needs this type of quarterback to win in this league."
Mariota was among the most prolific signal-callers in college football history, thanks in part to playing in the Kelly-designed offense the Ducks operated. He won the Heisman Trophy this past year and led the team to the national title game while flashing plenty of potential as an elite player at the next level.
There are concerns, however, over whether Mariota can be successful in the NFL. It's quite a difference between throwing to wide-open receivers in college and the tight windows one faces in the pros. For that reason and more, other analysts are not convinced Kelly and the team should trade away the farm unless the price is right.
Mariota is a potential No. 1 overall pick by Tampa Bay, but after the Buccaneers, the next QB-needy teams that pose a threat to draft him are the New York Jets at No. 6 and the St. Louis Rams at No. 10.
"We talk about going up to No. 5, that is a big cost," said NFL Media analyst and former Eagles scout Daniel Jeremiah. "If he gets by the Jets, then there are only a couple of other spots, like the Rams at No. 10, and then you can say, 'Maybe this is a cost we can afford,' if you're the Eagles. I just don't think you want to trade everything away for a quarterback who I don't think is that Andrew Luck-type level."
Mariota is regarded as Mike Mayock's second-ranked quarterback in the draft and considered by many to be a top 10 pick when the draft rolls around in Chicago.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
