Jameis Winston to Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just got better—a whole lot better.

With the first pick in the NFL draft, the Bucs selected the best quarterback in the draft—Jameis Winston from Florida State.

The Bucs lost eight games by six points or less in 2014. Many of those losses would have been avoided if Tampa Bay had better quarterback play.

With Winston, that should happen.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

On the field, he was superb. He threw for 7,964 yards and 65 touchdowns in just two seasons as a starter at FSU. In his redshirt freshman season in 2013, he passed for 4,057 yards and 40 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions. He led the Seminoles to an undefeated season and a BCS National Championship. That season, Winston also won the Heisman Trophy.

Last season, the numbers were not as great, but he did lead the Seminoles on four fourth-quarter winning drives, the most in Division I.

The Bucs have not had previous success with quarterbacks taken in the first round. Winston becomes the ninth quarterback taken by the organization in the first round; the last was Josh Freeman in 2009. None of those quarterbacks were given a second contract by the Bucs, including future Hall of Famer Steve Young and Super Bowl winners Doug Williams and Trent Dilfer.

Thus, all eyes will be on Winston, and Bucs general manager Jason Licht said to the media shortly after the pick that the quarterback thrives in that environment.

“There are big expectations,” Licht said. “One of the things that set him apart, he can play in pressure. He’s his best in the clutch. The more pressure, the better he plays. That’s probably a microcosm to how he’s going to deal with pressure here. He knows he’s going to be under a lot of pressure. Everyone is excited about it.”

What also helped in this selection for the Bucs was Winston's status as a pro-style quarterback. That should fit in the scheme of new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who ran a pro-style system with the Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Lovie Smith was coy when he was asked if Winston comes in as the starter, but given that he is the first pick overall, he will have every opportunity to start.

The quarterback won’t have to do it alone.

Winston will have some weapons around him. Receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans both had more than 1,000 yards receiving in 2014. The Bucs also have a solid tight end in Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

The running game was not as effective, but the Bucs do have some players they like in Doug Martin and Charles Sims.

Winston had several off-the-field incidents that raised red flags. The biggest was a sexual assault allegation by a student at FSU. The state attorney did not have enough evidence to press charges, and the criminal case was dismissed. The woman, however, has filed a civil suit against Winston.

After an extensive background check, Winston was the Buccaneers’ man.

“If he wasn’t a good guy, we wouldn’t have used the first pick on him,” Licht said. “During the exhaustive process, not only were we comfortable with his character but confident. We feel his character is a strength.”

All quotes obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted.