Jameis Winston

Winston's redshirt freshman season saw him earn ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year and consensus All-American honors, as well as set national freshman records for passing yards (4,057) and passing TDs (40). And oh - he also won the Heisman Trophy. Had he been eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft, he - not Marcus Mariota or JaDaveon Clowney - might very well have been the No. 1 overall pick. Aside from the unprecedented statistical accomplishments, what may have been most impressive about Winston in his first year as the Seminoles signal-caller was his rare display of poise, confidence and ability to finish games through moments of extreme adversity in big-game settings against some of the nation's best teams, despite his lack of experience coming into the season. Never was this more apparent than when he led the Seminoles to a comeback victory in an edge-of-your-seat back-and-forth BCS Championship Game against Auburn, earning offensive MVP honors and a national championship trophy. Put simply, Winston wasn't as productive in the passing department a year later. His completion percentage and touchdowns dropped while his interceptions rose dramatically. A year after tossing 40 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions, his numbers dipped to a relatively pedestrian 25 scores and 18 turnovers. In a historic Rose Bowl showdown with the "other" top quarterback in the country, Winston and the Seminoles fumbled away their opportunity to repeat as champions, losing to Mariota's Oregon Ducks. Despite the disappointing second season, Winston elected to leave Florida State early for the NFL. It isn't difficult to understand why. From a pure talent perspective, he's the most gifted quarterback in the class, boasting the size, arm strength, accuracy, anticipation and poise on the field scouts are looking for in a franchise quarterback. Off the field, however, is another story. Winston's off-field issues would dominate the 2014 offseason, beginning with the continued fallout of a sexual assault investigation and shoplifting crab legs from a Tallahassee-area grocery store. He was then suspended for the Clemson game following an incident at the student union in which Winston stood on a table and yelled a vulgarity. There was also an investigation in whether he was paid for an autograph session.

however, his string of immature actions off the field will continue to be a hot topic among nfl decision makers. winston also had several slow starts and games with multiple interceptions in 2014, although he also showed the ability to consistently rally his team from behind and make plays in the clutch.

COMPARES TO

some scouts also believe he needs to quicken and shorten his delivery in order to be consistently successful at the next level, as he tends to wind up when he throws, lacking the quick release nfl teams desire. he has nfl arm strength, so the elongated delivery was not a big issue at the college level.

Winston still has a tendency to stare down his targets and will make poor decisions with the ball down the field when hemmed between the tackles and forced to get rid of the ball under pressure. At times, he'll backpedal and throw while off-balance, rather than stepping into his throws, negating his natural throwing power.

on the field, winston is a natural. he has the requisite physical skills with his size, arm strength and athleticism along with the mental process as a passer to pick apart defenses. his anticipation, instincts and chemistry with his targets come easy to him and it's something that scouts search for within quarterback prospects.

Simply put, Winston has a rare skill-set and that's why he has the makings of a top 10 selection or even No. 1 overall pick.

weaknesses

Where he's causing scouts to question his pro-readiness is off the field where a series of questionable incidents have raised concerns his maturity and character, including a sexual assault charge, shoplifting and using vulgar language in the student union. Some teams may take Winston off their boards entirely.

ben roethlisberger, pittsburgh - like big ben, winston has all of the attributes to become an nfl star and champion, including the size, strength, poise and arm talent. both have a tendency to hold the ball too long, putting undue pressure on their offensive line in an attempt to make the big play. both also, unfortunately, have proven vulnerable to poor choices off the field, as well.

--Rob Rang/Dane Brugler

he's the total package, physically. when on his game, winston delivers strikes before his receivers are out of their breaks or even looking for the ball. he handles pressure well, evading, resetting and speeding up his process when needed, listening to his internal clock. generally makes excellent decisions with the ball, showing the ability to pepper well-thrown short and intermediate routes as well as driving strikes down the alleys.

Shows nice touch on traditional deep balls as well as inside the red zone. While Winston struggled during the first half of several games in 2014, he regularly impressed with his ability to make adjustments and rally the Seminoles from behind, making clutch throws with the game on the line.

he has proven especially vulnerable to underneath defenders dropping in front of his intended targets - a significant issue given the frequency of zone-blitzes in the nfl as compared to college.

IN OUR VIEW

strengths

Possesses all the natural physical tools you look for in today's NFL. He's big, athletic, has a strong arm and moves well inside the pocket. As for the intangibles, the list includes poise, anticipation, toughness, vision, leadership and a competitive fire.

Nation's top quarterback prospect in the class of 2012, who was also considered a top baseball prospect in the 2012 Major League Baseball Amatuer draft

USA Today 2011 All-USA first team All-American

2012 Parade All-American

SI.com second team All-American, ESPNHS first team All-American and Under Armour All-American

selected the 2011 Alabama Gatorade State Player of the Year

rated a five-star quarterback by Scout and a four-star QB by Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports

named to the 2012 USA Football National Team (U19) for the 2012 International Bowl on Feb.1

dual-threat quarterback who played in the shotgun spread where he excelled as a passer in the pocket and on the move

also a dangerous runner

can make all the throws and does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield when plays break down

named the Alabama Sports Writers Association's Class 5A Back of the Year as a senior after completing 69 percent of his passes for 2,424 yards and 28 touchdowns and rushing for 1,065 yards (7.4 yards per rush) and another 15 touchdowns

guided Hueytown to a 13-1 mark and the Class 5A state semifinals

named the 2011 Birmingham News Metro Player of the Year

the four-year starter totaled 6,871 career passing yards with 67 touchdowns, completing 60 percent of his 790 passes and threw only 25 interceptions

averaged 6.5 yards per rushing attempt for 2,912 yards and 35 touchdowns on the ground which adds up to 9,853 career yards and a part in 103 touchdowns

No. 1 on the Mobile Register's Super Southeast 120 and Elite 18 list of the top Alabama prospects. Named a co-MVP of the Elite 11 national quarterback challenge last summer in Malibu

turned in an MVP performance in the Under Armour All-American game completing 8-of-9 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns

named to the ASWA Super 12 and Class 5A all-state teams as a junior and senior

No. 14 on the ESPNU 150 and No. 1 QB nationally, No. 5 player regionally and No. 1 player in Alabama by ESPN

named to the 2012 247Sports All-American team as the No. 1 dual-threat QB, No. 3 player in the state and No. 26 in the Top247 List

on the baseball diamond, shines as a switch-hitting centerfielder and right-handed pitcher who possesses a fastball in the 90's and was clocked at a 6.59 in the 60

rated by Perfect Game as the nation's No. 22 prep baseball player for the Class of 2012 and was named a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American

named Birmingham News Metro West Player of the Year as a sophomore in baseball

hit .424 with seven homers and 36 RBIs during the Golden Gophers' Class 6A state semifinal run and finished 8-3 with two saves, a 1.92 earned run average, 92 strikeouts and six complete games as a sophomore

2011 ASWA all-state and Birmingham News All-Metro selection in baseball as a junior hit .370 and was 7-2 on the mound while playing shortstop, outfield and pitching

selected in the 15th round with the 486th overall pick by the Texas Rangers in the 2012 MLB firt-year player draft

selected Florida State over Stanford, Alabama, LSU and Ohio State.