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Jameis Winston is Right to Think He’s the Best Player in the NFL Draft

By Caleb Calhoun

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Jameis Winston made headlines again Tuesday when he said he’s the best player in the NFL Draft. He’s right to think that.

Get ready for another onslaught of unfair criticism directed in Jameis Winston’s way because he spoke his mind after he was asked a direct question.

Winston was asked why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should take him No. 1 in the NFL Draft. He gave a direct answer, according to reports: “Because I’m the best player in the draft.”

Many will criticize Winston for his arrogance. But in reality, he is to be applauded.

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Don’t blame Winston when he answers questions honestly. People like to get mad at him for this, but he is always direct in what he says.

When he said that the Florida State-Oregon game could have gone either way, he was dead right. It could have, and despite what was displayed on the scoreboard, it is true that Florida State gave that game away more than Oregon took it.

Winston’s arrogance is warranted, usually accurate, and earned based on his track record on the field.

This was different when Bryce Petty tried to make the claim that he was the top quarterback in the draft. He had not proven nearly enough the way Winston had in college and was just speaking out of arrogance while coming from a system that produces nothing but flops.

Garrett Grayson and Brett Hundley have both hinted that they believe they belong in the same class as Winston and Marcus Mariota, but to be fair, they both come from pro-style offenses, and it’s okay to think you’re in the same elite class. It’s just wrong to think you’re the best, which neither of them said.

Now, back to Winston.

He led numerous fourth quarter comebacks this past year for his Seminoles, and the year before that he won a Heisman Trophy and a national championships. Yes, Florida State does not play in the SEC, but it is worth pointing out that the Seminoles did play in a tough ACC Atlantic Division.

That division had three other Top 25 defenses last year in Louisville, Boston College, and Clemson. Winston didn’t play Clemson, but the Tigers did have a Top 25 defense the year before as well.

And its worth pointing out that Florida, another Top 25 defense, was on the schedule, and Miami, Syracuse, and Virginia each had Top 40 defenses at least.

Simply put, before you judge the weakness of Winston’s conference, you have to acknowledge that the defenses in those conferences were still elite, and in two years against tough defenses he completed more than 65 percent of his passes, averaged nearly 4,000 yards a season, and threw 65 touchdowns to only 28 interceptions.

The drop-off in 2014 had more to do with the overwhelming loss of talent. But overall, Winston’s done enough to say he’s the best player in the NFL Draft.

Arrogance is fine if you can back it up.

Take rap for instance. When Jay Z says he’s the new Frank Sinatra in New York, based on the sophistication in his music and the way he represents the city and his album sales, he can back it up. When T.I. proclaims himself the King of the South, he can back it up after going 10 times platinum by putting the sound of the south that had gone underground for 15 years finally on the map. Those are accurate and arrogant statements that can be backed up.

But when Drake tells The Jewish Chronicle that he is the first person to successfully sing and rap, or when Kanye West says that he is the Michael Jordan of this music, that is baseless arrogance that deserves to be criticized.

Winston’s claim of being the best player in the Draft parallels Jay and TIP. Petty’s claim of being the top quarterback in the draft mirrors Drake and Kanye West.

Next: Top 10 ACC Defenders Entering 2015 Spring Practice

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