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Position
Quarterback
School
Florida State
Size
6'4, 232 pounds
Strengths
Jameis Winston has every tool needed to become a star Quarterback at the next level. His size and arm strength are just about as good as it gets. He had a full grasp of the offense at Florida State, showing that he could anticipate and throw his receivers open. In the clip below, check out how early the ball gets out of his hand. It is delivered on target into a tiny window. The ball should have been caught.
Winston's arm mechanics are flawed, but his arm strength doesn't suffer from it. He routinely throws from a great base, planting and driving off of his back foot. The next clip is from his first collegiant start in 2013. Winston knows where he is going with the ball and waits for Benjamin to cross. He then plants and rips a 30 yard strike that just a touch behind his receiver.
Winston is excellent navigating the pocket. He has that "Ben Roethlisberger" feel in the pocket. He can move around great in the pocket despite his big body. He evades the rush with ease, always working to reset his feet before he delivers for the most part.
His ball placement is up and down, but when he's on it's spectacular. The clip below gives you a taste of the touch and accuracy that Jameis can bring. He puts this ball where only his man can get to it.
Weaknesses
Winston's 2014 season made for a tough evaluation. His first half performances in nearly every game were brutal. He looked lost. Then he came back to being his usual self in the second half. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before. Winston made horrible decision after horrible decision (see the Florida tape), but came back as a different player in the second half.
His decision making took a dip this past season. He started trusting his arm a little too much and paid the price for it on several occasions. He only threw 10 picks in all of 2013, but he threw 18 in 2014. It looks like he struggles to pick up on coverages. When defenses mixed things up on him, he struggled. The clip below is a great example. The corner is playing the flats, but Winston thinks he's going with the underneath receiver. The defender drifts back just a Winston releases, grabbing the pick. His struggles with underneath zone coverages are alarming.
Winston's off the field issues have been well documented. By now, everyone knows about the sexual assault allegations and the infamous crab leg incident at a local Publix. NFL teams will dig DEEP into Winston's past in an attempt to find out who he really is. For now, he hasn't been convicted. It appears that he is in the clear for the sexual assault allegations and will not be charged. We as outsiders can really only judge Winston from a football perspective. Is he a knucklehead? Absolutely. He clearly still has some growing up to do, but the talent is there. Hopefully the maturity will follow.
Summary
Winston will come into the league with some baggage, but he will also come loaded with talent. Coming out of a pro system, Winston may just end up trumping Marcus Mariota for the top spot. If he can stay out of trouble, he could easily be the next Ben Roethlisberger. I think Winston's floor on draft day is the sixth pick, which so happens to be the New York Jets. Tampa Bay and Tennessee are the other two most likely landing spots, barring a trade.
Draft Projection
Top Five
