There is a lot of hype around these two talents. Winston is a purely special talent you never seen much on the college level. He is a superstar NFL player playing college Football. Think Adrian Peterson, Eric Berry, Calvin Johnson, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, A.J. Green, and Ndamukong Suh. Teddy is a different type of special talent. A blend a very good athleticism, great QB skills, mixed with high Football IQ which translates very well into the NFL. So let's start the comparison.
Arm Talent:
This is a mix of arm strength and velocity.
Bridgewater: His arm strength plus his velocity is similar to Kurt Warner. He doesn't have the topspin of an Aaron Rodgers who he has been compared to. His velocity in my notes are on par with Warner as well. The ball comes out quickly, has a slight womble but has some really good velocity on it. Overall, his changes his pace well and he is able to throw it from overhead and sidearm as his sidearm has most velocity than his overhead release which is also similar to Warner.
Overall, his arm talent is nothing exceptional and clearly a tier below Rodgers, two tiers below Flacco, Stafford, Vick, Newton. It is a tier above current Manning and Brady as well as two tiers above Matt Ryan and Christian Ponder.
Winston: His arm strength is a tier below elite and is comparable to Donovan McNabb. Like McNabb his velocity is elite. Has some of the best RPM's on his throws. Overall, Winston has special arm talent.
Accuracy:
Bridgewater is most comparable to Matt Ryan in terms of accuracy. Elite short range(0-15 yds) accuracy, very good intermediate(15-25 yds) accuracy, and below average deep range(25-45 yds) accuracy. With that said, unlike Ryan, his mechanics stay the same and his velocity doesn't severely drop so it is correctable.
Winston is most comparable to Kurt Warner in terms of accuracy. Rates very good on short, intermediate and deep range. Which is scary good. Part of the reason he is so dominate.
Bridgewater without question is more than accurate and is a very accurate QB with his arm talent. Winston, will be scary good from Day 1. With his arm talent and accuracy, he might be the Lebron James of NFL prospects.
Pocket Presence/pocket mobility:
Bridgewater is most comparable to a young Tom Brady. Excellent footwork is key but he has awareness and skills to step up in the pocket, move side to side, and make any throw from within the pocket. This is one of his elite traits he has.
Winston is most comparable to Donovan McNabb. He can throw within the pocket but at times he could do better. Doesn't move extremely well in the pocket and at times can stand in the pocket too long. Because of his size this isn't as much of an issue even at the next level. While he is poised, he isn't quite good at this yet and may never be but it is all about development. He has good pocket mobility mainly due to his speed, size, and his ability to break tackles.
Bridgewater by a mile in terms of pocket presence/mobility. This might be his most noticeable skill when scouts review the tape.
Pre Snap and Post Snap Reads:
Bridgewater is most comparable to a Matt Ryan. Excellent at dissecting a defense. Can find the mismatches before the snap a lot more times than not. Doesn't have Peyton's ability to create mismatches but who does? Extremely smart. His post snap reads can use some work. While he is excellent at going through his progressions, he can lock into WR's, he can trust too much in his the play instead of trying to just make a play. Because of his pocket skills and his speed. He will be much more effective at this than Matt Ryan. Both players specialize at game management and both have been questioned in terms of the ability to put the team on their shoulders or as we say, "back".
Winston pre snap reads are a major work in progress. He doesn't make that many. Maybe because he is a freshman, idk but he doesn't make that many. Whatever the coaches call is normally the play but his team is so great at execution, it's not a huge deal. Post snap is where Jameis is elite. Goes through progressions, doesn't lock into WR's, makes plays if nothing is there. Just an elite player. Pre snap read is similar to rookie Cam Newton at this point but his post snap read is similar to Aaron Rodgers.
Overall, this is a tough one. Teddy is elite at pre snap while just good at post snap. While Jameis is elite and potentially GOAT at post snap, his pre snap is still in really raw stage. I would take Teddy.
Football IQ:
Both Teddy and Jameis are really smart. Teddy is more cerebral while Jameis is more instinctive but both players have a mix of both.
Mobility:
Bridgewater is most comparable to Ryan Tannehill. Good speed. Average elusiveness, Runs tough but runs smart. Teddy needs to improve in terms of sliding.
Winston is most comparable to Donovan McNabb. Tough, Excellent size, good speed, good elusiveness, smart runner, extremely hard to tackle.
Winston has much better mobility.
Toughness/Intangibles:
Both players have great toughness and intangibles. Winston reminds you of McNair in terms of his country strong and his ability to show no pain ever. Teddy has a slender frame but is tough as nails. He will do whatever it takes physically to win and that shows. Both players seem to have great intangibles and are team leaders. Both players can take a major hit. Scary thing is Teddy can take a hit and get better as the game goes on. A rare trait that scouts will notice.
Maturity:
Teddy seems to have his head game beyond his years. Very confident and doesn't try to disrespect others but is proud of where he is from and who he is and doesn't want nothing to do with negativity hence his recruiting process in HS. One may question how Teddy would react to a terrible situation like Oakland or the New York Jets.
Winston is still young and in some ways, dumb. With that said, he seems to not let it effect him on the field. That's a key trait that Brady, Manning, and Marino have.
While Winston isn't as mature as Teddy, Teddy dislike for negativity is something scouts need to look into more.
Size:
Teddy is questionable in this area. Small hands hence the gloves. Small parts: Ankles, etc. Has a decent frame. Went from 175 to 221 in his freshman year. Build like RG3. He isn't build like your ideal QB, more like your possession slot WR.
Winston is 235 and has a wide frame. Looks like McNair and McNabb. Country strong. Big hands. Build like he can take a beaten and still play well. Is seen as an elite QB and Baseball prospect.
Winston is clearly better in this category. He is elite, Teddy is a question mark.
Overall, both prospects are elite and think they could play within any offensive system and succeed to a degree. Teddy is a special prospect and one I would rate higher than RG3 or Luck. Winston is special prospect I would only take a young Peyton Manning over. He is even a better prospect than Cam Newton because his potential is just as high with a much higher floor than Cam. The highest floors I have ever rated was:
1. Bradford (missed)
2. Luck (on point but his supporting cast sucks)
3. Ryan (dead on)
4. RG3 (he was much better as a rookie than I would have imagined)
no one really came close to the top 4. Didn't grade Peyton. Add Winston and Bridgewater:
1. Winston
2. Bridgewater
3. Bradford
4. Luck
5. Ryan
Overall, Winston is as good right now as McNabb in his 5th year with more accuracy as a COLLEGE FRESHMAN! Winston will be scary at the NFL level like AD is for the Vikings.
Bridgewater is hard to compare. His floor is so ridiculously high so a more mobile, better arm talent version of rookie Matt Ryan is likely.
It's hard to see either player not having an epic impact as rookies. Winston is just a pure special talent. One we have never seen before. Say what you want about FSU being stacked but he is a big part of it. He is doing this in a pro style offense as is Teddy. Both players are exceptional prospects. Winston is an once in a lifetime prospect.
Arm Talent:
This is a mix of arm strength and velocity.
Bridgewater: His arm strength plus his velocity is similar to Kurt Warner. He doesn't have the topspin of an Aaron Rodgers who he has been compared to. His velocity in my notes are on par with Warner as well. The ball comes out quickly, has a slight womble but has some really good velocity on it. Overall, his changes his pace well and he is able to throw it from overhead and sidearm as his sidearm has most velocity than his overhead release which is also similar to Warner.
Overall, his arm talent is nothing exceptional and clearly a tier below Rodgers, two tiers below Flacco, Stafford, Vick, Newton. It is a tier above current Manning and Brady as well as two tiers above Matt Ryan and Christian Ponder.
Winston: His arm strength is a tier below elite and is comparable to Donovan McNabb. Like McNabb his velocity is elite. Has some of the best RPM's on his throws. Overall, Winston has special arm talent.
Accuracy:
Bridgewater is most comparable to Matt Ryan in terms of accuracy. Elite short range(0-15 yds) accuracy, very good intermediate(15-25 yds) accuracy, and below average deep range(25-45 yds) accuracy. With that said, unlike Ryan, his mechanics stay the same and his velocity doesn't severely drop so it is correctable.
Winston is most comparable to Kurt Warner in terms of accuracy. Rates very good on short, intermediate and deep range. Which is scary good. Part of the reason he is so dominate.
Bridgewater without question is more than accurate and is a very accurate QB with his arm talent. Winston, will be scary good from Day 1. With his arm talent and accuracy, he might be the Lebron James of NFL prospects.
Pocket Presence/pocket mobility:
Bridgewater is most comparable to a young Tom Brady. Excellent footwork is key but he has awareness and skills to step up in the pocket, move side to side, and make any throw from within the pocket. This is one of his elite traits he has.
Winston is most comparable to Donovan McNabb. He can throw within the pocket but at times he could do better. Doesn't move extremely well in the pocket and at times can stand in the pocket too long. Because of his size this isn't as much of an issue even at the next level. While he is poised, he isn't quite good at this yet and may never be but it is all about development. He has good pocket mobility mainly due to his speed, size, and his ability to break tackles.
Bridgewater by a mile in terms of pocket presence/mobility. This might be his most noticeable skill when scouts review the tape.
Pre Snap and Post Snap Reads:
Bridgewater is most comparable to a Matt Ryan. Excellent at dissecting a defense. Can find the mismatches before the snap a lot more times than not. Doesn't have Peyton's ability to create mismatches but who does? Extremely smart. His post snap reads can use some work. While he is excellent at going through his progressions, he can lock into WR's, he can trust too much in his the play instead of trying to just make a play. Because of his pocket skills and his speed. He will be much more effective at this than Matt Ryan. Both players specialize at game management and both have been questioned in terms of the ability to put the team on their shoulders or as we say, "back".
Winston pre snap reads are a major work in progress. He doesn't make that many. Maybe because he is a freshman, idk but he doesn't make that many. Whatever the coaches call is normally the play but his team is so great at execution, it's not a huge deal. Post snap is where Jameis is elite. Goes through progressions, doesn't lock into WR's, makes plays if nothing is there. Just an elite player. Pre snap read is similar to rookie Cam Newton at this point but his post snap read is similar to Aaron Rodgers.
Overall, this is a tough one. Teddy is elite at pre snap while just good at post snap. While Jameis is elite and potentially GOAT at post snap, his pre snap is still in really raw stage. I would take Teddy.
Football IQ:
Both Teddy and Jameis are really smart. Teddy is more cerebral while Jameis is more instinctive but both players have a mix of both.
Mobility:
Bridgewater is most comparable to Ryan Tannehill. Good speed. Average elusiveness, Runs tough but runs smart. Teddy needs to improve in terms of sliding.
Winston is most comparable to Donovan McNabb. Tough, Excellent size, good speed, good elusiveness, smart runner, extremely hard to tackle.
Winston has much better mobility.
Toughness/Intangibles:
Both players have great toughness and intangibles. Winston reminds you of McNair in terms of his country strong and his ability to show no pain ever. Teddy has a slender frame but is tough as nails. He will do whatever it takes physically to win and that shows. Both players seem to have great intangibles and are team leaders. Both players can take a major hit. Scary thing is Teddy can take a hit and get better as the game goes on. A rare trait that scouts will notice.
Maturity:
Teddy seems to have his head game beyond his years. Very confident and doesn't try to disrespect others but is proud of where he is from and who he is and doesn't want nothing to do with negativity hence his recruiting process in HS. One may question how Teddy would react to a terrible situation like Oakland or the New York Jets.
Winston is still young and in some ways, dumb. With that said, he seems to not let it effect him on the field. That's a key trait that Brady, Manning, and Marino have.
While Winston isn't as mature as Teddy, Teddy dislike for negativity is something scouts need to look into more.
Size:
Teddy is questionable in this area. Small hands hence the gloves. Small parts: Ankles, etc. Has a decent frame. Went from 175 to 221 in his freshman year. Build like RG3. He isn't build like your ideal QB, more like your possession slot WR.
Winston is 235 and has a wide frame. Looks like McNair and McNabb. Country strong. Big hands. Build like he can take a beaten and still play well. Is seen as an elite QB and Baseball prospect.
Winston is clearly better in this category. He is elite, Teddy is a question mark.
Overall, both prospects are elite and think they could play within any offensive system and succeed to a degree. Teddy is a special prospect and one I would rate higher than RG3 or Luck. Winston is special prospect I would only take a young Peyton Manning over. He is even a better prospect than Cam Newton because his potential is just as high with a much higher floor than Cam. The highest floors I have ever rated was:
1. Bradford (missed)
2. Luck (on point but his supporting cast sucks)
3. Ryan (dead on)
4. RG3 (he was much better as a rookie than I would have imagined)
no one really came close to the top 4. Didn't grade Peyton. Add Winston and Bridgewater:
1. Winston
2. Bridgewater
3. Bradford
4. Luck
5. Ryan
Overall, Winston is as good right now as McNabb in his 5th year with more accuracy as a COLLEGE FRESHMAN! Winston will be scary at the NFL level like AD is for the Vikings.
Bridgewater is hard to compare. His floor is so ridiculously high so a more mobile, better arm talent version of rookie Matt Ryan is likely.
It's hard to see either player not having an epic impact as rookies. Winston is just a pure special talent. One we have never seen before. Say what you want about FSU being stacked but he is a big part of it. He is doing this in a pro style offense as is Teddy. Both players are exceptional prospects. Winston is an once in a lifetime prospect.
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