Tampa Bay rookie Jameis Winston isn’t rated among the NFL’s top quarterbacks, but he’s steadily climbing based on several analytic metrics.
Winton is the 19th rated quarterback based on Football Outsiders' defense-adjusted yards above replacement (DYAR) with a 249. The DYAR gives the value of the quarterback's performance compared to replacement level, adjusted for situation and opponent, and then translated into yardage.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (254) is 17th and Carolina's Cam Newton (251) is 18th. So, Winston is keeping fast company for a rookie. New England's Tom Brady, Arizona's Carson Palmer and Cincinnati's Andy Dalton are the top three.
“He’s one of the up and coming stars in the league,” Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith said. “You can see improvement from week to week with him. So, we are expecting big things from him.”
The Bucs hope Winston can lead a playoff push.
“In order for you to play well as a team, you have to get production from the quarterback position, and we’ve gotten that from Jameis,” Smith said.
Winston, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, has completed 203 of 350 passes (58 percent) with 16 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. His receivers have drawn five defensive pass interference calls for 148 yards.
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