"No quarterback that I can remember in my 37 years of covering the draft has had the off-field concerns to the extent of Winston and been the No. 1 pick in the draft or even a first rounder," said Kiper. "You look at the top quarterbacks in the league, they're the CEO of the football team – they set the tone for everything that goes on there. They're the last person on the roster you're gonna have to worry about." http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2015/02/18/jameis-winston-marcus-mariota-scouting-combine-buccaneers-heisman/23629793 Jameis Winston vs. Marcus Mariota may be 'too close to call'Nate Davis, USA TODAY Sports 7:19 p.m. EST February 18, 2015Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota each won the Heisman Trophy. Both are likely top-10 picks in an upcoming NFL draft otherwise lacking exceptional quarterback talent.And that's pretty much where the comparison ends.Their contrasting styles should be readily apparent at this week's scouting combine in Indianapolis. Both are scheduled to address the media Thursday/today – expect Mariota to be deliberate and understated while Winston is more outspoken, engaging and comfortable in the spotlight – and will have the opportunity to work out and throw to receivers on the Lucas Oil Stadium turf Saturday, a forum that could accentuate elite athleticism for Mariota and Winston's big-time arm and accuracy.How NFL teams rate the duo could boil down to organizational philosophy, scheme fits and personal preference for general managers stacking their pre-draft boards."That's a dual heat, too close to call right now," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. told USA TODAY Sports.He slotted Winston to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who own the No. 1 overall pick, and Mariota sixth to the New York Jets in a recent mock draft."If I'd put Mariota one, I'd have slid Winston to six," said Kiper. "The thing that prevents you from cementing Winston at No. 1 is the off the field concern."And after a year when the NFL was rocked by players' personal conduct, notably domestic violence against women, Winston's infamous issues at Florida State – a sexual assault allegation, shoplifting and crude behavior at the student union that earned him a one-game suspension – could push many teams into Mariota's camp."No quarterback that I can remember in my 37 years of covering the draft has had the off-field concerns to the extent of Winston and been the No. 1 pick in the draft or even a first rounder," said Kiper. "You look at the top quarterbacks in the league, they're the CEO of the football team – they set the tone for everything that goes on there. They're the last person on the roster you're gonna have to worry about."Coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday that Winston remains on the Buccaneers' board. But he stressed the team had plenty of research ahead and that the No. 1 pick would be an "organizational decision."Winston's persona could be another polarizing element that draws scrutiny."He does have a loud personality," former Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage told USA TODAY Sports. "Will it rub people the wrong way over the course of a long time, or will it have other players gravitate toward him? For the most part, that's happened in high school and college – the players have really responded to his style of leadership and his personality."Winston led the Seminoles to a national title in 2013 and into college football's inaugural playoff last year. And though Mariota's Oregon squad thumped Florida State in the Rose Bowl, Winston may have added converts who believe he's much better prepared for the pro game."Jameis on the field will grade out exceptionally well," Trent Dilfer, a former NFL quarterback who coached Winston in the Elite 11 high school camp, told USA TODAY Sports. "He did stuff in college NFL quarterbacks can't do."Winston can use his legs, too, but rarely relies on them anymore.Added Dilfer: "Jameis Winston, who rushed for a billion yards in high school and ran around and dominated physically, got to college and decided, 'I want to be a great pocket passer, and I know my size and speed can bail me out of some stuff, but I first want to play from the pocket. I want to be Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Dan Marino – that's how I see myself – but I also know I have this other thing.' "Playing from the pocket is what Winston did so well at Florida State, where he grew adept at making multiple reads before accurately delivering the ball downfield, a striking difference from what Mariota did for the Ducks, who employ the shotgun, read option and pop passes in their spread offense.Unlike Winston, Mariota's character seems not only spotless but sterling. But lack of experience running a pro-style offense and recent NFL failures of quarterbacks who developed in college systems similar to Oregon's could work against Mariota."I think what we're all learning is that the NFL defenses catch up fairly quickly to the new style of quarterback," NFL Network chief draft analyst Mike Mayock told USA TODAY Sports. "At the end of the day, if you can't win from within the pocket, you've got no shot at being a franchise quarterback in this league."It's a really difficult projection."And one that could be more daunting given Johnny Manziel's brief showing as a Browns rookie, Colin Kaepernick's apparent plateaued development for the San Francisco 49ers and the ongoing struggles of the Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin III, whose offense at Baylor was similar to Mariota's."A lot of the victories take place on the sidelines in that offense, I'm concerned about that offense in general," NFL Network analyst and former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah told USA TODAY Sports."That's a warning sign for Mariota. One of the biggest challenges for guys coming out of that offense is knowing the difference between college open (receivers) and NFL open. ... You get in the NFL, you better pull the trigger."Habits that lead to success at the amateur level can be especially difficult to break in the NFL. Dilfer says many college passers must be reverse engineered after being drafted."They just do what they know. These quarterbacks have become so used to looking at one guy, and if he's not (open), they start running around," two-time league MVP and NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner told USA TODAY Sports. "You just can't survive that way in the NFL."If you have to teach them how to play quarterback at the NFL level, I think it's extremely hard. Very, very difficult for those guys because they're so used to reacting a certain way. ... I'm not very optimistic with those kind of quarterbacks – especially when you throw them into fire."Jake Locker and Christian Ponder rode their athleticism to first-round status in 2011, but both already washed out with the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings, respectively. Locker's failure and Mariota's own potential incompatibility with the offense favored by Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt, who holds the No. 2 pick, has the Oregon star sliding in many mock drafts.Yet Mariota's supporters cite his sharp intelligence and decision making, envisioning what he might become if he uses his mobility not as a crutch but a fallback, something Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson have mastered.The Philadelphia Eagles' Chip Kelly, who coached Mariota at Oregon, has compared his football IQ to Manning's. A marriage to the Eagles would surely ease Mariota's transition, though Kelly would probably have to make a major move from his current draft spot, 20th overall, to get him."If you're Chip Kelly, that changes the rules because it's apples to apples," said Jeremiah.But assuming Mariota goes elsewhere, his next boss will have to assess potential against what's likely to be a steep learning curve."Once he makes that transition, is his upside higher … whereas with Winston is he close to maxing out his abilities?" wondered Savage. "Does Mariota have so much room to grow, that he might be the better player four, five, six years from now?"Based on recent years, I don't think these GMs and head coaches are thinking about three and four years from now, I think they're thinking about 2015. You're only as good as your last season."***Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis
