Mariucci: Jameis Winston’s work ethic, football IQ off the charts
Jameis Winston had plenty of questions to answer at the NFL Scouting Combine this week and he has given teams the answers they want to hear.
There are many things you can question about Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston about his off-the-field behavior and the character concerns he brings to the team that drafts him, but as far as football acumen is concerned, he’s grading off the charts.
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Winston dominated on the football field for the last two years with the Seminoles, losing only one game in two years as a starter, including a Heisman Trophy and national championship two seasons ago. But his penchant for making questionable decisions away from the gridiron has given teams considering drafting him reason to pause.
From a sexual assault accusation to stealing crab legs to shouting an obscenity on campus that got him suspended for the Clemson game, his decision-making and intelligence has been in question.
During his workout on Saturday at the combine, Winston looked throwing the ball, but his most impressive quality wasn’t what we got to see during the NFL Network’s coverage of the event. According to Rich Eisen, his NFL Network colleague, Steve Mariucci called Winston “the most astute X’s and O’s guy that he’s ever put on the board” for his draft breakdowns.
“He was not only answering the questions that Steve was throwing at him but anticipating what that question might lead to next and answering that question before Steve even posed it,” Eisen said, via NFL.com.
NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock confirmed what Eisen relayed from Mariucci when he said Winston’s work ethic and football intelligence are off the charts.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owners of the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, are buying into that his on-field accomplishments and acumen could outweigh the off-the-field concerns.
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