2015 NFL draft: Top 10 Quarterbacks

1. Jameis Winston

College: Florida State.

Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 231.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: Winston’s recognition of underneath defenders will have to improve, but he’s the most advanced quarterback mind of his class.

2. Marcus Mariota

College: Oregon.

Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 222.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: The reigning Heisman winner was very accurate in the spread and is only slightly behind Winston in this ranking.

3. Sean Mannion

College: Oregon State.

Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 229.

Projected round: 3rd.

Comment: This year’s class falls off after Mariota, but Mannion is the third QB taken because of the potential he has with his size.

4. Bryce Petty

College: Baylor.

Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 230.

Projected round: 3rd-4th.

Comment: Only lost four games as a two-year starter but may not be able to read NFL defenses after his time in Baylor’s one-read, spread offense.

5. Brett Hundley

College: UCLA.

Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 226.

Projected round: 4th-5th.

Comment: Talented player who didn’t play up to the competition in big games against Oregon, Stanford and Kansas State.

6. Garrett Grayson

College: Colorado State.

Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 213.

Projected round: 5th.

Comment: The Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year stood out among a bad group of quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl.

7. Blake Sims

College: Alabama.

Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 218.

Projected round: 5th-6th.

Comment: Crimson Tide QB will have to work on special teams and be versatile enough to make a roster.

8. Bryan Bennett

College: Southeastern Louisiana.

Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 211.

Projected round: 7th.

Comment: Mariota’s former backup at Oregon, Bennett completed less than half of his passes last season as a senior.

9. Cody Fajardo

College: Nevada.

Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 223.

Projected round: 7th-undrafted.

Comment: With a 4.63 40 time, Fajardo could help a team with zone-read looks on the scout team during the week.

10. Brandon Bridge

College: South Alabama.

Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 229.

Projected round: 7th-undrafted.

Comment: Bridge has a strong arm but needs to add weight to his tall frame before he makes a team.

Panthers’ perspective

Carolina has its franchise quarterback in Cam Newton, a good backup in Derek Anderson and a versatile player in Joe Webb. Anderson is entering the last year of his contract and could be elsewhere in 2016, but the Panthers likely won’t be in the market for a backup in this year’s draft.

Local connection

Former Duke quarterback Anthony Boone won’t hear his name called, so he’ll have to try his luck in undrafted free agency. Boone threw fewer interceptions (eight) last year than in his junior season (13), but his completion percentage went down eight percentage points to 56.3 percent.

Sleeper

Blake Sims spun the ball well at the Senior Bowl and showed he was a winner at Alabama. He impressed at the combine with a 4.57 40, and his experience in a pro-style system can only help. But he’s nowhere close to being an NFL starter.

Worth noting

Winston will watch the draft from his home in Alabama. Mariota will watch the draft from his native Hawaii. That means for the first time since 2000, no quarterbacks will be in the green room at the NFL draft.

Jonathan Jones

This story was originally published April 24, 2015 at 7:00 AM with the headline "2015 NFL draft: Top 10 Quarterbacks."