Great Blue North Draft Report - News and Analysis on the NFL draft

Jameis Winston, Florida State, 6-4, 235, 4.85, RSOPH … Enigmatic leader of the FSU offense with elite physical skills who became the youngest player ever to win the Heisman Trophy last fall after leading Florida State to the national championship as a redshirt freshman, but also has a lengthy list of off-field red flags including several run-ins with police; was involved in a BB gun shooting at a university apartment complex and was cited for a minor theft of crab legs from a local supermarket; more seriously, has been investigated for allegations that he sexually assaulted a female student in December 2012; no charges were ever filed, but is currently still the target of a Title IX investigation by the university; on the field, though is a big, strong QB with excellent, although not necessarily elite arm strength; gets the ball downfield without much windup and can fit the ball into tight spaces; stands tall in the pocket; sees the field well and is patient going through his progressions; also has that natural ability to get rid of the ball just before the pocket collapses; also can throw the ball off his back foot, but will force balls into coverage; also can be careless throwing the ball late over the middle as he doesn’t always see backside coverage; indeed, has thrown too many picks (9) so far this season; decent athlete who can extend plays with his feet and is tough to bring down in the open field, but isn’t necessarily either overly quick or fast and doesn’t run much by design; versatile athlete, though, who is also a quality relief pitcher on the FSU baseball team and was drafted by MLB out of high school; very competitive player who is a vocal team leader and based on pure physical talent would rate as a top 5 prospect, but the off-field issues, combined with questions about his intelligence and maturity, could make Winston the 2015 draft’s biggest wild card.