Jameis Winston Is No. 1 in N.F.L. Draft as Talent Trumps Worry

Jameis Winston, the star quarterback from Florida State who played under a swirl of controversy, was chosen first over all in the N.F.L. draft by Jameis Winston Goes to Tampa Bay Buccaneers as No. 1 NFL Draft Pick on Thursday.Winston led the Seminoles to a national championship during the 2013 season and was considered, along with Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, to have the best chance of being chosen first.

Success has come quickly for Winston, the youngest player to win the Heisman Trophy, who was also drafted by the Texas Rangers. But he has been dogged by charges that he raped a former Florida State student, who has since filed a civil suit against him.

Winston’s off-field problems proved to be a source of consternation for the N.F.L., which has tried to clean up its image as a league willing to tolerate violence and lawbreaking off the field. Several weeks ago, Winston met Commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss his future in the league.

Winston edged out Mariota, who played a more wide-open style of football at Oregon. Tampa Bay, which finished 2-14 last season, had been looking for a quarterback to rejuvenate its franchise. Winston, who played just a few hours away in Tallahassee, will become the face of the team.

Mariota did not have to wait long, though. He was chosen by the Tennessee Titans, who had the second pick in the draft. In recent weeks, speculation had swirled that the Titans would trade their pick to a team presumably eager to acquire the Hawaii-born Mariota, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2014.Greeted by a lusty round of boos each time he came on stage at the Auditorium Theater, Goodell announced that Dante Fowler Jr., an outside linebacker from Florida, had been chosen third by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Because Winston and Mariota were not in Chicago, Fowler was the first player to walk across the stage to hug Goodell.

“For me to be part of this and for me to be the first defensive player on that stage, I’ve dreamed about it since I was a kid,” Fowler said.Fowler was picked ahead of Leonard Williams, the highly regarded defensive tackle from Southern California whom some analysts had expected to be chosen first. He was selected sixth, by the Jets. Williams, a two-time all-American defensive end, may make it easier for the Jets to trade Muhammad Wilkerson.

As is their custom, the Jets fans in attendance booed when Williams was chosen.The Oakland Raiders chose Alabama’s Amari Cooper, who won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver and was a unanimous all-America choice. Cooper, like Winston and Mariota, did not attend the draft.The Washington Redskins, at No. 5, selected Brandon Scherff, a top-rated offensive tackle from Iowa.The Chicago Bears picked Kevin White, the fleet wide receiver from West Virginia, at No. 7.

The Falcons picked another defensive end, Vic Beasley of Clemson, with the No. 8 pick, while the Giants chose Ereck Flowers, an offensive tackle from Miami. The St. Louis Rams chose Todd Gurley of Georgia, who was considered the best running back in the draft.Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story The San Diego Chargers, who traded to obtain the San Francisco 49ers’ pick, chose Melvin Gordon, a running back from Wisconsin. No team chose a running back in the first round last year.

The main story of the night, though, was Winston. Teams have steered clear of signing Ray Rice, who was suspended after a video was released showing him knocking out his fiancée, and owners were wary of signing Greg Hardy, who was suspended with pay after he was found guilty of domestic violence.

At a meeting with reporters last week, Goodell brushed off questions about whether the league’s work to combat domestic violence would be hurt if Winston was chosen first in the draft. He added that he was not bothered that Winston and Mariota had chosen not to attend the draft.“It’s an important day for them, and when they say they want to be with their families, we respect that,” he said.

In addition to the rape allegations, Winston was involved in BB gun incidents and cited for shoplifting $32.72 worth of crawfish and crab legs. In a statement after that incident, Winston characterized the misdeed as “youthful ignorance.”Winston was also suspended for a game against Clemson last season after he yelled a crude statement inside the F.S.U. student union. At a news conference, Winston called the act “selfish.” He told reporters, “I did something, so I’ve got to accept my consequences.”

Winton’s behavior was counter to the image the N.F.L. had been trying to promote. In 2013, the league confronted reports of bullying by members of the Miami Dolphins. That led to new awareness training for players and team personnel.Last year, Goodell was widely criticized after he suspended Rice for just two games for knocking out his fiancée. Critics, including some members of Congress, called the league callous and out of touch.

Goodell apologized, and the league overhauled its personal conduct policy to include stiffer penalties for anyone found to have committed domestic violence. Coaches, team personnel and players, including prospects attending the draft, now must attend seminars on how to prevent domestic violence.Hours before the draft started, off-field issues intruded again. Louisiana State offensive lineman La’el Collins, who was projected to be drafted in the first round, asked the N.F.L. to be withdrawn from the draft and placed in a supplemental draft later this year.

Collins was being sought by the police in connection with the murder of his ex-girlfriend. Though he is not a suspect, the report may hurt his chances in the draft. The N.F.L., though, denied his request because there was no procedure to remove a player once he was eligible.The N.F.L. moved the draft to Chicago this year after a half-century in New York to reach more fans.

Outside the Auditorium Theater, the draft had a decidedly Chicago feel to it, as the “El” trains rumbled around the Loop. Thousands of fans gathered, even as temperatures dipped into the 40s, lining up four and five deep in front of the theater as the prospects arrived.Across Michigan Avenue in Grant Park, Draft Town  part museum and part activity fair offered its own attractions. Some clustered at the makeshift TV studios for ESPN and NFL Network, chanting, “Let’s go, Bears.”