Immediate Impact Rookies: Jameis Winston

This article will be one of many in a series of 2015 draftees who I think will have an immediate impact in some way, shape or form. Where they are drafted plays a part in this series as well, because chances are that most of the first two rounds of rookies will have an immediate impact on their teams. That doesn't mean I'm going to automatically put them on my list, as there is a lot that will factor into my analysis of these players. A few components that factor into my decision will be there skill level, the situation the player is drafted into, the amount of playing time I think they will get, etc. I hope to explain myself well enough for each player I analyze that my opinion isn't completely batshit crazy. Enjoy!

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Jameis Winston

Onto the most talked about rookie since... Well since Johnny Manziel. So it was only a year earlier. Well either way, I like to think that Winston's hype is more driven by his play, and actual quarterback traits. Winston being in an 'Immediate Impact Rookies' article seems fairly redundant. He was the first overall pick and went to a quarterback needy team. It's a no-brainer. Well even if this article doesn't need a brain, it's going to get one!

The knock that I (along with most football analysts) have against him is his decision making. He too often throws a ball he flat out shouldn't throw. Other than that and a slightly long release, I haven't seen much to dislike about the young QB out of Florida State. He has an arm that can make every single throw on the field, he has an incredible football I.Q. and he has solid accuracy to go along with it. My favourite trait about Winston, is he isn't afraid of anything on the field. If Winston throws a pick to Richard Sherman, and the next play he thinks the best throw on the field is right back at Sherman, he'll challenge him again. He trusts his wide receivers, and more importantly he trusts himself to always make every throw. Also he is very rarely shaken, which is huge for a quarterback of his stature. I do believe that Winston was the most talented player in this years draft, and I think he has all of the ideal traits every team looks for in a franchise QB.

The biggest reason he is on this list isn't for his talent, because that is well documented in the NFL media circle. The main reason why he is on this list is because I love the situation he is in with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has three huge, very talented pass catchers for Winston to throw too. Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins should help smooth over Winston's transition to the NFL. Evans especially, as he could be the top receiver in the NFL next season and it would not shock me one bit. With Mike Glennon as his QB, Mike Evans put up 1,051 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns. Winston is the perfect QB for Evans, as he will throw him 50/50 balls and not be intimidated by any defensive back covering Evans. Since Evans has arguably the strongest hands in the NFL, and absolutely dominates 50/50 balls, Winston will thrive when throwing him the ball. Oh yeah, and ASJ is 6'6 to go along with the 6'5 Vincent Jackson and 6'5 Mike Evans. So they should have quite the potent red zone offense.

I'm not going to completely ignore the negatives, as the Bucs offensive line is a big question mark on paper. They are relying heavily on two rookies, which might not go over well. Donovon Smith is slotted in at left tackle, and Ali Marpet should be their right guard. The rest of the offensive line is solid, but these two rookies can't falter under pressure and need to step up. The good thing is that Winston isn't known for crumbling under pressure. He has good pocket presence, and is deceptively mobile, so he doesn't need an elite offensive line to play at a high level (obviously it would help though). The run game the Bucs have is interesting. It's not bad, it's not great, but they have quite a few guys that could make an impact. Between Doug Martin, Charles Sims, Bobby Rainey and Mike James, I expect somebody to step up and be a solid running back for Winston.

I like what the Bucs did to help Winston. They believe that he can be their franchise quarterback, and they drafted to support that sentiment. This will be a transition year for Tampa Bay, and they probably won't be all that competitive, but I'm a strong believer in Winston and I think he'll have a great rookie season that proves he can be their franchise quarterback.

NFC South Breakout Candidates 2015

Atlanta Falcons

Ra'Shede Hageman, DT: This is where I wish I could pick a rookie to breakout or have a way better year than his draft position. Justin Hardy, Grady Jarrett, Jalen Collins and Vic Beasley all should have huge impact years for Atlanta. Alas, here I am with Hageman. This isn't to say I'm settling for choosing Hageman. He is a great talent, and I think he'll have a very big year since he should be getting regular playing time. He is an absolute freak of an athlete for his size (6'6/320 lbs). His ceiling as a player is being one of the best interior disruptors in the NFL, and I think 2015 will be the start of him realizing that potential. He has a terrific combination of burst and power, but he was very raw coming out of college and needs to develop his technique. Dan Quinn is the perfect coach to do just that and develop what Hageman's lacking while utilizing what he has. I'm predicting at least 5 sacks for Ra'Shede, and to show clear development in his technique, which will be key to him reaching his full potential as a player.

New Orleans Saints

Kenny Vaccaro, SS: I am going down with the Vaccaro ship. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, last season was rough. He struggled in coverage, wasn't great against the run, and there were times when he just seemed lost on the field. With that being said, he had a very good rookie season, and he has loads of talent. Jairus Byrd returning will really help him, as his responsibilities on the defense will play more to his strengths while playing next to a ball hawking safety like Byrd. Vaccaro can still be an enforcer, and a playmaker for Rob Ryan's defense. I'm predicting Vaccaro and Byrd to be one of the best safety tandems in the entire NFL.

Carolina Panthers

Bené Benwikere, CB: I feel good about this breakout prediction. Benwikere was a good player last season, but he got hurt and only actually started six games for the Panthers. In his limited snaps, Benwikere showed terrific all around cornerback skills. He is extremely explosive and has terrific leaping ability to make up for his smaller frame, and he is terrific at recognizing the play off of the snap. BB should have a much bigger impact on a fairly thin Panthers secondary if he stays healthy, and he could develop into a very good NFL cornerback. Stats wise, I think he'll get at least 4 interceptions in 2015. This will be the last year where very few people know about him and you can jump on the bandwagon before he gets very good.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, TE: ASJ is in for a big year. Winston might not be an amazing quarterback right out of the gate, but going from Glennon and McCown to Jameis is a massive upgrade. Sefarian-Jenkins is a huge tight end, with a great catch radius and good athleticism too. Jameis' weapons consist of Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and ASJ. They don't have a lot of depth behind those three guys, and Winston is going to sling the ball this season. There will be targets for ASJ to get, and he will produce with them. Alongside Evans and Jackson, those three players will make for terrific red zone targets for the Bucs new QB. I'm predicting ASJ to get 600 yards and 8 touchdowns, which would be an incredibly productive year and put him in the upper tier of tight ends.