Attorney says Jameis Winston ‘not ready to be an NFL player off the field’

As the pre-draft workouts and combine numbers have proven, Jameis Winston is ready to become an NFL quarterback from an on-the-field standpoint.

So much so that Winston is expected to be the first player picked in the NFL draft on April 30.

But attorney David Cornwell, who has advised and represented the former Florida State quarterback, said Friday that Winston is not ready to be an NFL player off the field — yet.

Winston’s situation is not “unique,” according to Cornwell, who said that most players entering the draft aren’t ready to enter the NFL from a maturity standpoint.

Now it’s up to Winston to continue to grow and mature — with the help of Cornwell and his support system — as the final days leading up to the draft wind down.

One step Winston took was to meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other league officials in New York for over five hours during the first week of March to talk about his past and to reassure those in attendance that he was mature enough to make the jump to the NFL.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the top pick in the draft and held a private workout in Tallahassee on Thursday that featured Winston and several Florida State offensive linemen.