Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston will undoubtedly be selected in the first round of this year’s NFL draft. Further, many would venture to even say that he will be the first overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In analyzing how Winston ranks among some former top prospects coming out of college, NFL Media analyst Charley Casserly shared his insight about where Winston fits in.
I think he’s better than RG3, better than Cam Newton, better than Blake Bortles. I do not think he’s as good as Matt Stafford or Sam Bradford, who were also picked first.
That obviously makes it seem like Casserly is high on Winston, especially since Cam Newton was selected first overall by the Carolina Panthers in 2011. With the path RGIII has taken with the Washington Redskins since his successful rookie campaign, it’s not a surprise the former NFL general manager has Winston above him. Most would also conclude that the Florida State product has a higher ceiling than Blake Bortles.
Interestingly, it seems that Casserly believes Bradford is a better quarterback than Cam Newton. That’s going to be a hard one for most people to swallow. Heck, most believe Stafford is a notch below Newton.
In looking at Winston, who is the top-ranked quarterback draft prospect this year, he has graded highly for pocket awareness and passer accuracy, both areas that teams look for in a franchise quarterback. Setting aside past off-field issues, Winston is appealing as a franchise quarterback, especially to the Buccaneers who are so badly in need of improvement at the position. It’s just hard to believe they will be acquiring a better quarterback than what the division-rival Carolina Panthers currently possess.
Then again, this could be why Casserly is a NFL Media analyst and no longer a general manager.
Photo: USA Today Sports