Along with the rest of the 2014 quarterback class, Johnny Manziel has seemingly seen his draft stock take a hit in recent weeks. That, however, remains to be seen.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Manziel is still expected to be a top-10 pick when the draft rolls around in two weeks. While that may not be the case for other top quarterback prospects such as Blakes Bortles or Teddy Bridgewater, talent evaluators believe Manziel is being evaluated differently and still intrigues teams.
On Johnny Manziel: It is not clear which team will definitely draft him. But no evaluator I have talked to thinks he falls out of the Top 10
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2014
Johnny Manziel is evaluated differently than the other QBs. Skills make it that way. 1 GM: “He’s so unique, guys don’t know what to think.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2014
Manziel has been connected to multiple teams picking in the top 10, beginning with the Houston Texans as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders and most recently the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In addition, the Minnesota Vikings picking at No. 8 could be a landing spot, though coach Mike Zimmer has not shown much interest in the former Heisman Trophy winner.
That unique skill-set talent evaluators told Rapoport about reminds Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young of a pair of modern day Pro Bowlers Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Like those two franchise quarterbacks, Manziel has a knack for making plays and could be a star in the NFL if he develops a strong work ethic, Young said.
“He’s the guy that seems to really thrive in chaos,” Young said in an interview with Yahoo! Sports. “The truth is that in the NFL, the job is to deliver the ball from the pocket. That’s the job. So he’s going to have to transition that.
“If he’s willing to do the boring work behind the scenes day in and day out, over years, he can be Drew Brees. He can be (like) guys that have moved around in their careers — Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers could scramble around for 100 yards if he wanted to, but he’s learned the game. That’s what Johnny is going to have to do.”
Interestingly enough, Young’s former teammate, Jerry Rice, compared Manziel to his old quarterback. “Johnny is not the biggest guy, but he has an exceptional heart,” he told Yahoo! Sports. “Steve was the same way when he first came in, he was more of a running quarterback, but then he wanted to become more of a pocket passer.”
