The Buccaneers have a very promising quarterback to build around in Jameis Winston, but NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell says the team that drafts Cal QB Jared Goff this year could end up even happier than the Bucs are with Winston.
Cosell said on Wednesday that Goff, a junior who intends to enter the 2016 NFL Draft, is a better prospect than Winston.
"My initial study of Goff tells me that I think (Goff is) a more natural and better overall thrower than (Titans QB Marcus) Mariota. I think he's a better prospect than Jameis Winston," Cosell told WGFX-FM in Nashville, Tennessee. "Where he goes? I can't answer that, but from studying it preliminarily, that's how I see it with Jared Goff."
That's high praise for Goff, who racked up spectacular numbers as a three-year starter for the Golden Bears. However, Cosell was far from smitten with Winston heading into last year's draft, saying in April that he'd take Titans QB Zach Mettenberger, a 2014 sixth-round pick, over Winston. Of course, the Bucs didn't give the Titans a chance to land Winston, selecting the FSU QB first overall before Tennessee chose Mariota at No. 2.
"Winston had a very nice rookie season and it looks like he'll be a solid player. How good? No one can answer that at this moment," Cosell said. "I'm just comparing Goff, and again, I haven't done as much work on Goff as I did on Winston when I was done with the process last year, but that's the basis of my comparison."
NFL Media analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks both have Goff as the first QB off the board, going No. 2 overall to the Browns, in their first mock drafts of the year. The Titans aren't in the market for a QB after picking Mariota, but they certainly are open to listening to offers from any team interested in leapfrogging the Browns to ensure a chance to pick Goff before Cleveland gets the opportunity.
Cosell likes Goff as a fit for the Browns, or any other team, for that matter.
"I think Goff fits any system. I don't think Goff is system specific," he said. "I think his skill set, his throwing skill set, his looseness as an athlete, his light feet, I think he fits, theoretically, any system. He would be my choice right now (for the Browns). He could run (head coach) Hue Jackson's system no problem."
Yes, this draft process is beginning to get very interesting.
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