Jameis Winston Reportedly Doesn't Intend to Attend 2015 NFL Draft

Jameis Winston could be the first No. 1 overall pick to skip the NFL draft in years.  

The former Florida State quarterback and one of the top prospects in this year's draft is reportedly planning on staying home for this year's event, per Peter King of TheMMQB.com (via David Hale of ESPN.com):

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Jameis Winston, who is widely projected to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick, does not plan to attend the 2015 NFL draft, as he currently prefers to spend that day with family and friends in Alabama, his father told ESPN.com on Monday.

Antonor Winston told ESPN.com's David Hale that the plan for now was for his son not to attend the draft, but the decision "was not set in stone." The draft will be held in Chicago from April 30 to May 2.

Ohio State defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson, who was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1994, was the last No. 1 overall pick to not attend the draft.

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Perhaps Winston, who had off-field issues during his time at Florida State, is trying to maintain a low profile as he heads into the NFL. That is something that Johnny Manziel didn't do last season, and he became a lightning rod for the press despite only appearing in a few games during his rookie season for the Cleveland Browns. 

Winston might be hoping to avoid that sort of media storm. Or, he might simply prefer to spend the day with friends and family rather than taking in the spectacle of the draft itself. 

Whatever the case may be, it would be a change for the draft to have one of the top prospects—especially at the quarterback position—and a player widely considered a top-six selection remain remote during the NFL's biggest offseason event. One would guess the league would prefer Winston attended.

Winston is currently the front-runner to go No. 1 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though the Tennessee Titans at No. 2 and the New York Jets at No. 6 would also likely have interest if he dropped to them.