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. He's the total package, physically.
When on his game, Winston deliveres 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.
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 laguage in the student union. Some teams may take Winston off their boards entirely.
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. He has proven especially vulnerable to underneath defenders dropping in front of his intended targets.
IN OUR VIEW: 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.
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 contistently rally his team from behind and make plays in the clutch.
