Name: Jameis Winston
College: Florida State
Class: SO RS
Position: QB
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 227
Background/Character | Leadership: 9 | Experience: 9 | Off-the-Field: 7 |
| Mental Capacity: 9 | Mental Toughness: 9 | Durability: 9 |
Winston’s biggest area with question marks is off the field. Through digging, most around Winston feel that he is simply immature but humbled by the events that have happened in recent history. The rape allegation and investigation is certainly something to watch, and could change his character evaluation. As of now, Winston is viewed as a kid that needs to grow up. But, he loves football and is a tremendous on-field leader. He is always seen on field giving help to teammates and coaching players up.
Final Grade: 8.66
Athleticism | Balance: 10 | C.O.D: 9 | Explosiveness: 8 |
| Flexibility: 8 | Coordination: 10 | Body Type: 10 |
Jameis is a solid athlete for his big frame. He’s hard to bring down with his center of gravity and strong base. He’s a good runner, albeit awkward because he’s not a naturally smooth runner. He evades hits well with his change of direction and subtle movements. Winston’s ability to roll out of the pocket gives the offense an opportunity to use the sidelines on play actions.
Final Grade: 9.16
Arm Talent | Arm Strength: 9 | Velocity Control: 10 | Touch: 9 |
| Arm Adjustment: 9 | Release Quicks: 8 | On the Move: 9 |
Winston has a terrific arm capable of making any throw asked of him. He throws a wonderful corner and deep post ball, combining touch and precision with ball placement. His velocity control is very good, as he can throw a fastball and drop passes in the bucket. On the move, Winston delivers accurate passes to the sideline with his balance and quick release.
Final Grade: 9
Passing Technique | Mechanics: 9 | Release: 8 | Under Pressure: 10 |
| Drops: 9 | Movement: 8 | Throwing Base: 8 |
The one area that easily stands above the rest for Winston is his ability to stay calm in the pocket against pressure. He’ll make some panic decisions over the course of the season against interior pressure, but his nerves are still fantastic. His throwing motion is elongated and this affects his deep ball accuracy. He struggles going deep because there is so much margin for error with his windup release. It improved in 2014, and still can. His base stays pretty good, but does get wide at times. His overall mechanics are very good, with room to improve.
Final Grade: 8.66
Passing Instincts | Football IQ: 9 | Pre-Snap Reads: 8 | Field Vision: 8 |
| Decision Making: 8 | Pocket Presence: 10 | Poise: 9 |
Winston has excellent passing anticipation as he reads the defense. He understands leverage extremely well and knows where to place the ball. His biggest weakness is reading underneath linebackers. For some reason, he doesn't see when they’re hovering in the middle of the field. It could be supreme confidence, but many of his INTs were from forced windows. That same confidence creates huge plays, but he may need to be more calculated in his decision-making.
Final Grade: 8.66
| Player Comparison: | Ben Roethlisberger |
| Projected Draft Position: | 1st Round |
| Best Scheme Fit: | Vertical passing |
| Injury History: | Minor ankle injury in 2014 |
| Career Accolades: | 2013 Heisman Trophy Winner, All-American, National Champion |
| Career Stats: | 7,964 yards, 65 touchdowns, 28 INTS |
Final Analysis
Jameis Winston’s path to the NFL is filled with a lot of great successes, and also a few incidents that will concern some. He seems a little immature, but he loves the game and has only shown commitment to being a great player.
Looking at how Winston operates in the pocket, he’s a highly refined player with his ability to sense pressure coming and avoid sacks. His decision-making does open some questions to how he will read NFL defenses and limit those mistakes in the NFL, but his penchant for risk also allows big plays to happen. It’s a matter of calculated risks, and if he continues to improve in this area, he can ascend into the top-10 NFL quarterbacks.
Physically, his elongated release still needs work to improve his deep ball accuracy. When more is going on with that motion, more can go wrong. He may still have room to improve in this area as well.
Final Grade: 8.90- 1st Round Value