After months of intensive research, the Tampa Bay Buccaneersused the first overall draft pick Thursday night on Jameis Winston, who is hoping to "gain everyone's trust" despite his checkered past.
The Bucs drafted Winston to be their long-awaited franchise quarterback, an indication they don't believe a series of off-field incidents at Florida State will be a precursor to future behavior.
"I've got to work," Winston said Thursday night. "Actions speak so much louder than words, or what they may have read or what they may have heard. It's about your actions. Whatever is in the past is in the past. I look forward to gaining everyone's trust."
Added Bucs general manager Jason Licht: "If he wasn't a good guy, we wouldn't have used the first pick on him."
The Bucs also looked closely at Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. But Winston had the edge because he played in a pro-style offense in college, while Mariota, the reigning Heisman winner, played in a spread system. The Titans selected Mariota with the second overall pick.
The Jaguars selected Florida defensive end Dante Fowler with the third overall pick before the Raiders took Alabama wideout Amari Cooper at No. 4. The Redskins rounded out the top five by selecting Iowa offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, allowing USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams to fall to the Jets at No. 6.
Todd Gurley, who suffered a torn ACL in November while with Georgia, was taken by the Rams with the 10th overall pick, becoming the first running back drafted in the first round since 2012.
The Chargers also drafted a running back, trading up two spots to No. 15 to select Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon.
The Broncos traded up to No. 23 to select Missouri pass-rusher Shane Ray, whose draft stock was jeopardized after he was cited for marijuana possession in a traffic stop earlier this week. Nebraska pass-rusher Randy Gregory and LSU offensive lineman La'el Collins, a pair of highly regarded prospects plagued by off-field problems, were not selected in the first round.
Winston was accused of sexual assault during his freshman season at Florida State but never was charged. The Bucs investigated that and other off-field incidents, and apparently came away with the conclusion that Winston won't have any more trouble.
Winston addressed the allegations Thursday night, saying he is "thankful" the Buccaneers believe in him.
"I have been cleared six times," he said. "I've been cleared six times on that situation. So I took that situation so seriously. But, at the end of the day, I've got to keep moving forward. That's why I'm so thankful right now. I continue to thank the Glazers, continue to thank Mr. Licht and continue to thank coach [Lovie] Smith for believing in me."
Licht and Smith said repeatedly over the past two months that they were comfortable with the prospect of taking Winston, who also generated negative headlines when he was cited for shoplifting crab legs from a supermarket and later suspended for one game last season after climbing onto a table in the Florida State student union and shouting an obscenity.
Winston posted a photo on Instagram on Thursday night of him celebrating with a serving of crab legs.
"When we were doing the exhaustive process that we went through, not only were we comfortable with him and his character, we were confident with his character," Licht said. "We think that his character that he brings to the locker room and the building is a strength. That's one of the things that makes him a great player."
The Glazer family, which owns the team, also was on record for weeks as being comfortable with the organization's vetting process, which included Winston's daylong visit to One Buccaneer Place in early March.
"I know a lot of things have been said about him," Smith said. "He's made some mistakes that young people make from time to time when they're young. I definitely don't think that I've seen a pattern.
"Once you get to know him, I just really believe in him. I trust my instincts on people to know who we're getting."
Winston said he hopes to continue growing as a person in his new community.
"I really would want the city of Tampa to help build me and to help me become a better young man and to become someone they would want in their community," he said.
On the field, there are few questions about Winston, who led Florida State to the national championship during his Heisman Trophy-winning freshman season in 2013. The 6-foot-3, 231-pound Winston passed for 3,907 yards and 25 touchdowns with 18 interceptions last season, completing a collegiate career in which he went 26-1 as a starter for the Seminoles.
"He's a champion. He's a leader. He's a winner," Licht said. "He's got tremendous football character and tremendous intelligence and work ethic. His work ethic was one thing that really put him over the top for us, combined with his leadership and his 'it' factor, as well as his ability on the field."
Winston was not in Chicago for the draft; instead, he was in his hometown of Bessemer, Alabama, with family and friends. Winston did tweet after the Bucs made the pick.
Although the Bucs were 2-14 last season, Winston has a chance at immediate success in the NFL. He'll be surrounded by good skill-position talent in wide receivers Vincent Jacksonand Mike Evans, who each had 1,000 receiving yards last year. The Bucs also believe second-year tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins can be a productive receiver.
"We're so excited to get a guy like Jameis to be our future, start a new era," Licht said. "Any time you get an opportunity to get a franchise quarterback that we believe and are very confident is a franchise quarterback, it excites you."
Winston figures to have an excellent chance to start right away in Tampa Bay, where Mike Glennon is the only other quarterback on the roster.
Winston becomes the second quarterback taken No. 1 overall by the Bucs in franchise history. Tampa Bay used the first pick on Vinny Testaverde in 1987.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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