Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston are among five players to keep an eye on at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Stanford's Andrus Peat (70) and Cameron Fleming (73) celebrate a touchdown run against Arizona State by teammate Tyler Gaffney, second from right, during the first half of the NCAA Pac-12 Championship football game Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Boise State running back Jay Ajayi dives for the touchdown as Arizona cornerback Jarvis McCall Jr. defends during the first half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Date : December 31, 2014 05:24:3
Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (15) prepares to run into the end zone against Auburn defensive back Jermaine Whitehead (9) during the first half of the Southeastern Conference NCAA football championship game, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston throws a pass during NCAA college football practice in Carson, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014. Florida State is scheduled to play Oregon in the Rose Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal on New Year's Day. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) throws against Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant (12) during the second half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game Monday, Jan. 12, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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Which current NFL players do this year's top college prospects resemble? NFL Media's Buck Brooks broke down 12 of this year's top college players, including quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston.
Who does Mariota remind Brooks of? San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick.
"I think with Marcus Mariota, he has similar traits," Brooks said. "He runs the ball on the perimiter, has a strong arm. Not as strong as Colin Kaepernick, but he can make plays in the passing game. When I look at what Marcus Mariota could be in the pros, I believe he can be what Colin Kaepernick has been for the San Francisco 49ers - provided the offensive coordinator is willing to build around those skills."
And for Winston - Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger.
"When I look at his game and his skill set, he really reminds me of Big Ben Roethlisberger as a player," Brooks said. "Big, physical guy, a guy that is a sneaky athlete in the pocket. He's a guy that is tough to bring down. When you look at him, he has rushers around him, he has rushers hanging on his body but he still continues to make plays. Also, you can trust him to have the ball in a two-minute situation."
Brooks broke down two other quarterbacks, Brett Hundley and Bryce Petty, in addition to wide receiver Amari Cooper, pass-rusher Vic Beasley, linebacker Shaq Thompson and more.
Watch all of Brooks' pro comparisons below:
...QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon
**QB Jameis Winston, Florida State
WR Amari Cooper, Alabama**
DE Randy Gregory, Nebraska
RB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
LB Shaq Thompson, Washington
QB Brett Hundley, UCLA
DE Shane Ray, Missouri
QB Bryce Petty, Baylor
WR Davonte Parker, Louisville
DL/ LB Vic Beasley, Clemson
