There are more than a few questions that NFL clubs will be looking to answer about Jameis Winston before deciding whether to invest a first-round draft pick in the former Florida State star, but arm strength isn't one of them. In fact, Winston's arm strength rates even with what Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers showed in that area as a prospect coming out of Cal in 2005, according to NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah.
"We used a scale of 3-7 when I was with the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns," Jeremiah said of his scouting days on a special "Move The Sticks" podcast assessing all aspects of Winston's value as a prospect. "Seven being elite, six being above average, five average, four below average, and three poor. I would give Jameis Winston a 6-plus arm, which is the same I gave to Aaron Rodgers coming out."
That's certainly high praise, and might not even reflect the best Winston can be. It wasn't, after all, the best Rodgers could be.
"Aaron Rodgers now has a seven arm. He came out and held the ball a little high, he lowered his delivery, sat for three years behind Brett Favre, loosened up a little bit now now has maybe as live an arm as we have in the NFL," Jeremiah said.
Winston is considered a strong candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick of the draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The club is clearly in need of a quarterback, and has already brought both Winston and Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in to visit the Bucs' facilities. There are receiving weapons in place in Tampa in Vincent Jackson and last year's first-round pick, Mike Evans.
And Winston has more than enough arm to get them the ball.
"Being able to make those small window throws requires velocity. He's got plenty of it," Jeremiah added. "There are plenty of examples of him on tape driving the ball down the field, driving seven routes, corner routes, driving digs, driving skinny posts, he can make those tight window throws."
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