Throughout the season, we've checked in from time-to-time to see how Jameis Winston's projected 2015 stats compared to other quarterbacks selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. Winston's numbers always compared favorably, but were projections on how he would finish rather than hard data.
Now that all of the dust has settled, we'll break down Winston's rookie season one last time and see how he measures up against other top picks since 1999.
In terms of passing yards, Winston put together one of the best seasons for a rookie quarterback in NFL history. He recorded 4,042 yards, the third-most for a rookie in NFL history. The two players ahead of him, Andrew Luck and Cam Newton, were also No. 1 picks. Luck holds the record with 4,374 yards and Newton is second with 4,051.
While Newton had more passing yards as a rookie, Winston threw for more touchdowns. He finished with 22, third among the list of recent, top-draft quarterbacks. Winston's 15 interceptions were less than Luck, Newton or Peyton Manning as rookies as well.
Below is the full list of how Jameis Winston's rookie season compares to other quarterbacks selected with the top pick.
**
TOTAL PASSING YARDS*
Andrew Luck: 4,374
Cam Newton: 4,051
*Jameis Winston: 4,042*
Peyton Manning: 3,739
Sam Bradford: 3,512
Carson Palmer: 2,897
David Carr: 2,592
Tim Couch: 2,447
Eli Manning: 1,043
Alex Smith: 875
Michael Vick: 785
JaMarcus Russell: 373
**
TOUCHDOWNS*
Peyton Manning – 26
Andrew Luck – 23
*Jameis Winston – 22*
Cam Newton – 21
Sam Bradford – 18
Carson Palmer – 18
Tim Couch – 15
David Carr – 9
Eli Manning– 6
Michael Vick – 2
JaMarcus Russell – 2
Alex Smith – 1
**
INTERCEPTIONS*
Peyton Manning – 28
Andrew Luck- 18
Carson Palmer – 18
Cam Newton – 17
Sam Bradford – 15
*Jameis Winston – 15*
Tim Couch – 13
Alex Smith – 11
Eli Manning – 9
David Carr – 9
JaMarcus Russell – 4
Michael Vick – 3
