Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota both shine in combine throwing sessions

Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota both threw at the NFL scouting combine, and for good reason: Neither have much, if anything, to hide.

Both men threw the ball very well on Saturday.

It's rare for top quarterbacks to throw in Indianapolis, with Cam Newton in 2011 the last No. 1 overall pick to do so. But Blake Bortles opted to throw last year, and it certainly didn't hurt him in ending up the third pick in the 2014 draft.

For Mariota, who faced questions of making NFL-caliber throws, and Winston, with rumors of a balky throwing shoulder during medical evaluations, it was a chance to dispel the doubters. Consider those questions more muted after their performances, both of which were strong.

Of the two, Winston appeared to throw with a little more ease and confidence. Upon receiving the ball for his final attempt of the day, the charismatic Winston said, smiling, "They always save the best for last!" Then he ripped a perfect out route.

Mariota threw fluidly and accurately, only missing a few attempts, and he looked comfortable with the five- and seven-step drops that were few and far between in his standout career as a spread-option QB at Oregon. And Mariota was the athletic winner of the day, blazing a QB-best 4.52 40-yard dash (to Winston's pair of 4.9s).

Also looking good was Baylor's Bryce Petty. After a so-so Senior Bowl week, Petty helped himself in Indy with a nice throwing session alongside Winston and Mariota. Petty can continue to gain steam in a draft class where the third quarterback spot is up for grabs right now.

But of the top two, Winston was the slightly better performer. With buzz circulating around NFL circles that he also has done a good job in his interviews behind closed doors with teams, the feeling is that Winston — even with his spotty background off the field — is the more polished NFL thrower of the two at this point.