Buccaneers spoke to more than 75 people while doing research on Jameis Winston

With months of pre-draft research finally wrapping up, it's safe to say the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done their homework on potential No. 1-overall pick Jameis Winston.

Easily one of the most talented players in the draft, Winston has long been the favorite to be the first player off the board in the opening round. However, with the former Florida State quarterback having as many off-field questions to answer as any other prospect, the Buccaneers have been conducting an extensive background check.

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht explained in a recent interview with Joey Johnston and Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune that team officials communicated with more than 75 different people in determining the type of person Winston is off the field.

"Maybe 25 years from now I’ll write a book," Licht said. "We’ve talked to a lot of people. ‘A lot’ is probably not a big enough word.

“We are not going to talk about the process. All I’ll tell you is that the Glazer family, the head coach, the general manager, our staffs, we all couldn’t feel more confident about the process we have gone through.”

Johnston added that among those 75-plus people were Winston's family members, friends, teammates, former coaches at both the high school and college level, and an assistant state attorney.

Background research is an important part of scouting for every team around the league, but the multiple off-field issues throughout Winston's college career certainly warrant the detail with which the Buccaneers have carried out their decision-making process.

While things can change in the days leading up to the draft, and the Buccaneers won't be tipping their hand either way, all indications continue to be that team personnel is comfortable with what they've come to learn about the former Heisman Trophy winner.

Barring a surprise selection of Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, it appears Winston will soon become the face of the Buccaneers' franchise, tasked with the responsibility of leading the club back to contention.