Winston Well Worth the Hype

Rookie quarterbacks affect coaching and game plan as much as anything, and being the first overall pick comes with a heavy burden of expectations. Coaches are forced to dedicate precious amounts of time to developing these young passers, while protections and progressions are simplified to make the transition easier. Winston wasn't asked to set the line pre-snap very often, but he was one of the more cerebral passers in the 2015 draft class coming from Jimbo Fisher's system that asked him to utilize his mind before and after the snap; Winston's mind was simply advanced. Here, I will break down Winston's traits that made him a number one overall pick with weak aspects in his game that need development.

I begin with these three videos because they showcase anticipation consistencies in my evaluation during his time at Florida State. Anticipation is one of the most vital aspects quarterbacks possess because everything is happening at a much quicker pace at the next level, and if you have an underdeveloped ability to throw guys open or hit windows as they're opening, your NFL days are numbered.  We begin with his first NFL game, a preseason matchup against the Vikings. It's not visible, but Winston releases the ball just before Mike Evans' break on his post route and puts the ball out in front. The next video features Evans again against the Redskins and Winston's five-step drop, keeping his eyes on the single-high safety to manipulate the defender. Following his hitch, Winston drops an ideally-placed ball where only Evans can get it, but you should notice that the corner actually has a step on Evans as the ball travels; Winston anticipated Evans' stride length to stack that corner and haul in an easy six. Finally, you get a clearer view of Winston's clunky, elongated motion that will allow corners with twitch to break on throws that take longer to arrive. Regardless, Winston holds a stronger lower-half that propels him through sacks and adds velocity and rotation to his intermediate throws. That part of his body is evident in the third video against the Saints, coupled with the continuous theme of anticipation: Winston recognizes Brandon Browner (#39) run with the underneath route and immediately throws a strike to open window behind him.

For all the promise Winston showed, he wasn't immune to looking like a rookie. Beginning with the first video, something I noticed in Winston's FSU evaluation was his in ability to get the necessary weight transfer on every throw. Not stepping into your throws is detrimental to the ability to squeeze the ball into tight windows at all levels of the field, a trait on display in the first video as the ball comes too far infield; throwing the ball late like Winston did doesn't aid his cause
either, while the poor weight transfer occurred on a number of throws last year. The next video against the Brown exposes Winston's youth, and doesn't require much explanation: throwing late across the middle is a cardinal sin as far down as Pop Warner. The final video focuses on a lapse in decision making that I also noticed in his evaluation. It's difficult to confirm, but I believe this throw was predetermined due to the fact that he released it at the top of his drop; if it was, you can chalk that decision up to inexperience. Regardless, he should have known the degree of difficulty that throw possesses and chosen to go else where or get rid of it.

The rookie threw for 4,042 yards and 22 touchdowns against 15 interceptions, adding another 213 and six on the ground. Winston's 58.3 completion percentage isn't something to fret over as he still has developing to do like all rookie passers. He certainly showed flashes of a star to come.