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Jameis Winston might not attend the NFL Draft

Jan 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) looks to pass in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game against the Oregon Ducks at Rose Bowl. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
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The Sports Xchange
March 16, 2015 - 8:19 am
 

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is the presumptive favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, but he might take in the moment surrounded by friends and family rather than taking the stage in Chicago.

The first round of the draft held at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago on April 30 is televised in primetime, and a regular scene on the stage at the event is commissioner Roger Goodell squeezing hands and sometimes sharing a hug with top prospects as their names are called. It would be unusual for the top overall pick not to attend the draft.

Peter King of TheMMQB.com was first to report Winston’s consideration on Monday.

Winston met with Goodell in a face-to-face interview in early March. The meeting, King reported, was requested and arranged by Winston, who lost just one game in two years as the starting quarterback and left Tallahassee with a national title and Heisman Trophy.

He also strolls into the NFL as a lightning rod for controversy.

NFLDraftScout.com rates Winston as the No. 1 quarterback in the draft and projects him to be the top pick in the 2015 draft. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted Winston earlier this month and on Monday welcomed Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Head coach Lovie Smith said the Buccaneers were comfortable making Winston the face of the franchise based on all information the team had before that meeting. Whether Winston’s charm and confidence made a difference one way or another is uncertain, but the Buccaneers did send multiple representatives to Mariota’s pro day — including general manager Jason Licht — workout in Eugene before welcoming him to One Buc Place.

While Winston seems to thrive in the spotlight, Mariota is a quiet, reserved prospect in relative comparison. He speaks in hushed tones and doesn’t back away from the fact that he’s not a boisterous or vocal leader.

Winston is fiery, engaged in nose-to-nose talks with teammates and even coaches in the heat of the game and teammates and head coach Jimbo Fisher tout his leadership and ability to raise the level of play of those around him.

The questions with Winston are based on character and questionable decisions off the field. He was investigated for sexual assault involving a female FSU student — the state’s attorney did not bring formal charges — cited for shoplifting crab legs from a supermarket and suspended for standing on a table at the student union and shouting a profane statement.

With that full back story, it is not a major surprise Winston might prefer to be surrounded by his strong supporters and dodge any public demonstration or backlash in Chicago. However, given his confidence and strong personality, there would be little surprise to see Winston show up at Auditorium Theater to take in the drama in-person. By the time April 30 rolls around, he’s very likely to know exactly how the opening stanza of the draft will play out.

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