ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas reported Jameis Winston is the favorite to be selected No. 1 overall because Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith prefers Winston over Mariota:
It’s very early in the process and much will depend on what happens at the scouting combine, pro days and individual interviews. But the early indicators are that Florida State quarterbackJameis Winston is the favorite — for now.
I’ve heard that coach Lovie Smith prefers Winston over Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. From what I have gathered, Smith chose Dirk Koetter as his offensive coordinator over Marc Trestman. The logic was simple. Although Smith and Trestman had similar philosophies about how to run an offense, they disagreed on the quarterbacks. Trestman preferred Mariota.
Smith favors Winston and Smith is the boss. There is lots of logic behind Smith’s preference.
It makes sense with Winston being the more pro ready quarterback, coming from a pro system.