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Report: Buccaneers would select Jameis Winston if draft was today

By Josh Criswell

Nov 29, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) looks to throw during the first quarter against the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) looks to throw during the first quarter against the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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All signs point towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking Florida State’s Jameis Winston with the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston would be the No. 1 overall draft pick if it were today according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“That is the feeling around the league, that you can book Jameis Winston to the Buccaneers short of something happening here in the next two-and-a-half weeks, which you never know with the draft process,” Schefer said, via Bucs Nation. “Now Ron Jaworski, our ESPN analyst said that he believes Marcus Mariota is going to Tampa, but the more people you speak to, that’s a surprise. And if it went down that way that would be a huge surprise.

“And I think right now, today, and it hasn’t changed really since the combine, Jameis Winston is expected to be the number one overall. Now again he’s in Tennessee today, he’s visiting the Titans, they worked him out, the Buccaneers did last week. They spent a lot of time digging through his background. To date, they haven’t discovered anything that would dissuade them from making him the number one pick.”

Winston is an enigmatic figure to say the least, and to say his two seasons with the Seminoles were filled with turmoil would be an understatement.

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First were the accusations of sexual assault. Charges were never filed, but the scandal definitely caused his image to take a major hit. Next was the infamous stolen crab legs incident. While the embarrassing and childish decision would not usually be a big red flag, it was definitely more than a blip on the radar for the troubled Winston. He topped it of with getting suspended last season for jumping on a table and yelling obscenities in the middle of Florida State’s student union, a bonehead decision that almost cost his team an appearance in the inaugural College Football Playoff.

So why are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sold on a player with so many character concerns?

Because he is that good, plain and simple.

At 6-foot-4 and 231 pounds, Winston has the prototypical quarterback frame that coaches dream of. He is agile enough to avoid tackles, but even more impressive is his tremendous ability to pick apart defenses from within the pocket and deliver powerful throws in the face of pressure.

By bringing in Winston with the first pick in the NFL Draft, the Buccaneers are doing two things that, when you consider their current offensive weapons, have potential to transform the franchise from an NFL bottom dweller to a yearly playoff contender.

First, they replace a gaping hole at quarterback with a player that has all of the physical tools, as well the incredibly high football intelligence that you look for in a franchise quarterback. More importantly, however, is the winning mindset and confident demeanor that Winston brings to the table, something that will be extremely valuable to a constantly struggling Buccaneers team.

Winston is a proven winner and an elite talent. With a national championship, Heisman Trophy and 26-1 career record at Florida State under his belt, the young quarterback’s resume speaks for itself. If he has his head on straight and can take advantage of an extremely talented Tampa Bay offense, he has every capability to become a perennial Pro Bowler.

Being inserted into an offense with proven weapons like Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans and Doug Martin, Jameis Winston could very easily have the Bucs back in playoff contention sooner rather than later. Choosing anyone else with the top pick would be a huge mistake.

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