Tuesday 5 May 2015 17:44, UK
Thursday night's NFL draft was not normal as in previous years and lacked a bit of drama, admits Sky Sports expert Neil Reynolds.
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was selected first by the by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he was followed by fellow quarterback Marcus Mariota to the Tennessee Titans.
Winston won the 2013 Heisman Trophy as top US collegiate player, and Mariota, taken by the Titans with the second pick, was the 2014 winner, marking the first time Heisman recipients went 1-2 in the NFL Draft.
"The draft is fascinating because it's when players become millionaires overnight and we never know how it will pan out. It can still be hit and miss with all the research that goes in. You don't know how they're going to transition from college to the pro's, but this was not the kind of draft that we've seen like in previous years," Reynolds told Sky Sports News HD.
"The average in the first round for the last three years was 14 trades being made with teams jockeying for position, moving up and down, trying to get the player they want.
"Last night we had just two trades so it was very quiet and it was reflected by the fact that once you got past the top players all of the talent was of a similar level in this draft so teams were happy to stay put where they were. They didn't want to move up or down to grab other players once you've got past the top two quarterbacks."
Pro-ready
Winston, who joins a Bucs team that selected first by dint of a league-worst 2-14 record, was widely seen as the most pro-ready quarterback available after thriving in a pro-style offense at Florida State.
Winston has all the tools for NFL success and the Bucs showed their confidence in him by overlooking a list of off-field incidents, including a sexual assault allegation and a shoplifting citation, as Tampa Bay background checks convinced them he could be counted on.
And Reynolds believes No 1 pick Winston has to convince people that "he has grown up" after being selected first by the Buccaneers to kick off the NFL Draft in Chicago.
Winston, who was cited for stealing crab legs from a grocery store in April 2014, posted an Instagram photo of him celebrating on draft night with a tray of crab legs.
"He was described as the most scrutinised draft pick of all time," said Reynolds. "He's gone on social media the day after becoming the face of the Buccaneers making fun of a private misdemeanour that he did at college. The Buccaneers had to ring him up and remove the picture, so he's not off to the best of starts.
"The best the Buccaneers can hope for is to get to be a six, seven eight-win team this coming regular season and you just want to see progress. I also want to see him mature.
"You see Andrew Luck from Indianapolis - he's 24 but you'd think he's 44 with the way he acts. I want to see this guy grow up and become that leader - that face of the franchise - and that person who can frankly be relied on when people think of the face of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."
"I think this round will be famous for the trades that weren't. The Philadelphia Eagles were absolutely desperate to either get up to No 1 or two. They wanted Marcus Mariota from Oregon.
"According to the reports, the Eagles were offering two first round draft picks, a third round draft pick and four veteran players, including their own quarterback Sam Bradford, so this puts added pressure on Winston and Mariota because there's potentially seven players there that you've given up to make sure that you've got your franchise quarterback."
Meanwhile, Reynolds claims that Mariota is the "model player" and believes the Titans have found a perfect face for their franchise.
"Coaches were raving about this guy," said Reynolds. "For all the stuff about Winston where you worry about the off the field problems. This is the model player that you want. Somebody that's going to learn, is going to be putting in the extra time so from that aspect we need to find how that translates on the field at the moment."
