2015 NFL Draft Prospect Watch: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Apr 12, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) looks to throw the ball during the spring game at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Jameis Winston is the quarterback that all college football video game junkies have tried to create in their wild Dynasty dreams. Winston won just about every possible award last year, including the two most coveted in college football: the Heisman Trophy and a BCS National Championship.

And by the way, he was only a redshirt freshman, but you already knew that.

With Winston’s huge success came a huge microscope, and he was accused of rape, a trial that interfered with the Florida State season and put the brakes on Winston’s Heisman campaign, nearly his college football career.

Then this past offseason, there were crablegs…and pellet guns…

Winston is a two-sport athlete, doubling as the closer on the FSU baseball team. He’s certainly not a prospect without flaw, but what he was able to do in his first year as starting quarterback at Florida State is remarkable, and pretty much unheard of on the college football landscape.

Winston needs to clean up a long delivery and obviously make better decisions off the field, but he’s an extremely well-spoken young man with a rifle of an arm, ice in his veins, and all the physical tools you’d like to draw up for a college quarterback and NFL prospect.

What scouts see in Winston is his potential to be great. He’s clearly not a finished prospect by any means, but he is the type of player that has franchise quarterback potential, and he’s viewed as the next great NFL QB coming out of college. He may or may not choose to come out for the 2015 NFL Draft, and some of his recent comments indicate he might be leaning toward staying in college.

He has a chance in 2014 to win another National Championship with a very talented FSU roster, and they don’t appear to be running low on talent for years to come. As long as Winston is there, they’ll be contending for a title, but many believe that if he were to declare for the 2015 NFL Draft, at least at this point, he’d be the odds on favorite to be the next number one overall pick.

Only time will tell, but if Winston can keep himself out of trouble and continue to progress after an unreal freshman season, he’s got the chance to be really, really special.

Here, the folks at DraftBreakdown.com have his game video from the National Title against Auburn. You see how he faces up against intense pressure, especially from first round pick Dee Ford (Chiefs) coming off the edge. This game shows Winston’s poise and ability to lead his team from behind when the stakes are highest. To me, that’s one of this kid’s best qualities.