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Not close: Mariota more NFL-ready than Winston

TAMPA — Sometimes, you just can’t take the draft hype at face value.

Remember what conventional wisdom told us about Jameis Winston? He was proclaimed as the most “NFL-ready” quarterback in the pool, which by extension meant that he was a better choice at the top of the draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers than Marcus Mariota.

Perhaps Winston will ultimately produce a more successful NFL career over the long run than Mariota. And, uh, perhaps not. Time will tell.

In the short run? Not even close.

The first season-opening matchup in NFL history featuring quarterbacks drafted No.