TAMPA, Fla. -- One of the best wide receivers in Tampa Bay history said the Buccaneers' choice between quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota isn't even a choice.

"There's only one guy for me," Keyshawn Johnson said Thursday night. "That's Jameis Winston."

Johnson, now an ESPN analyst, said Winston has the clear edge because he played in a pro-style offense at Florida State.

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"The best thing Tampa can do is draft that guy," Johnson said. "Winston is big, and I like his pocket awareness and his red zone ability. So what if he ran five seconds in the 40-yard dash? What do [Peyton] Manning and [Tom] Brady run? I just think Winston is the better overall choice."

Many critics point to Winston's history of off-field issues as a reason the Bucs shouldn't draft him. Johnson doesn't see that as a big problem.

"We all have to grow up and learn," Johnson said. "I don't think he should be punished or penalized for some of the things he's done. That has nothing to do with football. If I'm a general manager and drafting him, I'm looking at it from the football side. You can tell if a guy has learned, and I think he's learned."

Johnson acknowledged that Mariota has rare athletic ability. But he has doubts that Mariota, who played in a spread system in college, can flourish in a pro-style offense.

"I don't think the transition from offense at Oregon is what the NFL is all about," Johnson said. "I look at what [Philadelphia coach and former Oregon coach] Chip Kelly has done this offseason: He's going to more a pro-style offense with [Sam] Bradford and [Mark] Sanchez and DeMarco Murray at running back because he realizes he can't win big with that style of offense.

"I don't think Marcus Mariota is going to fit what [the Bucs] want to do offensively at the pro level. I think that would be a big mistake. Cam Newton came in sort of the same way and he still is struggling to master certain things in the passing game. I don't think Mariota can get away with the same things. I watched a lot of Mariota this year, and he threw a lot of medicine balls. You can't get away with that in the NFL."