With the college football regular season all but over, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston may only have two or three games left in his career before he moves on to the NFL. Assuming Winston declares for the draft after the season, much of his draft stock will be decided by the combine and interviews with prospective teams.
But even before all of that, teams should have a good idea of what Winston is all about based on the past two years with both his performance on the field and his behavior off it.
The former makes him one of the top quarterback prospects since Andrew Luck. He has yet to lose a game as a college quarterback, and while he’s been surrounded by plenty of talent at Florida State to help him, winning all 25 games that he’s played in college is awfully impressive. At the end of the day, NFL teams care about winning, and Winston has proven himself to be a winner on the field.
Even when he’s struggled early in games, he has always found a way to make big, game-winning plays in the second half with his back against the wall, an asset that NFL teams will value.
In terms of his physical skills, he is second to none compared to any other quarterback eligible for the 2015 NFL Draft. Over the past two years, he has shown great accuracy as a passer, completing 66 percent of his passes, as well as the arm strength to be an NFL quarterback. Even with 23 interceptions in 25 career games, Winston makes good decisions as a passer a majority of the time, especially in crunch time.
Winston also possesses the size and strength that makes him difficult to bring down, as well as enough mobility to get outside the pocket when he needs to without having the athleticism that makes him want to flee the pocket whenever possible.
Of course, NFL draft evaluations are about more than physical skills and college accomplishments; pro teams dig deep into the character of a player, especially at the quarterback position. When it comes to character, Winston is one of the most controversial and polarizing players in recent memory.
He’s spent the past year with sexual assault allegations hanging over his head, stole crab legs from a local grocery store, and was suspended for a game for making inappropriate comments in the Florida State student union. His character and maturity are major question marks that NFL teams will scrutinize and closely consider when evaluating him.
If it weren’t for the off-field issues, there’s no doubt Winston would be the top overall pick in next year’s draft. But maturity away from the field matters, especially at the quarterback position, and that will make teams weary of taking him no matter what he does on the field.
That said, his talent is far too intoxicating for him to drop too far because of character issues. With so much desperation in the NFL to find a franchise quarterback and so many quarterback-needy teams drafting early, Winston is surely a top-five pick at this point.
Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com. Like him on Facebook, follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google.
It's obvious that Miami needs a few more pieces to make it to the playoffs, and while there is a ton of talent on the free-agent market, there are stars the Fins should avoid. Here are the top five. Read More
There are some glaring holes that the Miami Dolphins need to address, and signing these five players would be a great start to fixing them. Read More
Everyone knows that the New York Jets' offense needs some work in the offseason. One player who can help the Jets' problem is wide receiver Amari Cooper. Read More
The Miami Dolphins have a ton of young talent, but were unable to make the playoffs this past season. With another year of development, these five players are poised to break out for Miami. Read More
Though subject to some regular-season inconsistencies, QB Joe Flacco has some of the best playoff numbers of any quarterback in the NFL. Is an upset in the cards with him leading the Baltimore Ravens? Read More
See why players like Derek Carr and Latavius Murray could make the Raiders relevant next season. Read More
Free agency could be a big help for the Philadelphia Eagles, but they have to be smart about it. Here's a look at some players they should let find employment elsewhere. Read More
The Philadelphia Eagles need to address several aspects of their team this offseason, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Read More
Jameis Winston has officially declared for the 2015 NFL Draft. Find out why Winston to the Tennessee Titans must happen in order for either to be successful. Read More
After interviewing plenty of candidates, the Oakland Raiders are close to settling on their next head coach. Read More
Even with the season very much not over, here's looking ahead to the five changes the Green Bay Packers need to make for the 2015 season. Read More
Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning are the talk of the town for this game, but there are other things you should know for the Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos game. Read More