The 2014 quarterback class is arguably the most polarizing in draft history, and everybody has their take on which prospect will succeed on the next level.
The most polarizing of the bunch: Johnny Manziel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel polled 20 NFL personnel executives, asking their views on how Manziel’s professional career would play out. The verdict: eight projected hit and 12 guessed miss. In other words, front office members are split on the former Heisman Trophy winner.
“Do you want somebody that’s not even 50-50 on that poll to be your franchise quarterback?” an NFL personnel man told the Sentinel. “He’s a damn good athlete and great competitor, but he’s a party animal and he ain’t the smartest.”
The same 20 NFL personnel executive were asked to choose a word to describe Manziel. Those who believe Manziel will succeed in the league used “brazen,” “entertaining,” “exciting,” swagger,” “Tarkenton,” “unpredictable” and “electric” twice.
Those that expect Manziel to be more of a “miss” player used “dangerous,” “different,” “difference-maker,” “electric,” “energetic,” “gamer,” “magical,” “playmaker,” “spontaneous,” “winner” and “competitive” twice.
“I really like Johnny Manziel,” Rick Reiprish, the New Orleans Saints’ director of college scouting, told the Sentinel. “Some of the throws the kid has made…Fran Tarkenton, he didn’t have the arm strength this kid has. He’ll drive you crazy if you let him, but he’s going to do a lot of good things for you, too.”
The big knock on Manziel physically has been his height. He’s under six-feet tall, but then again, so are Drew Brees and Russell Wilson, both of whom have captured Super Bowl championships.
Manziel is expected to be the eighth quarterback shorter than six feet drafted in almost three decades, which according to Tennessee Titans consultant C.O. Brocato, will be his greater challenge.
“The only thing that’s going to hurt him is him being 5-11,” he said. “Only thing that worries me, if he can’t get away from those big guys up here, it’s going to be tough for him.
“He’s such a damn good athlete with such quickness, he can be in one spot and roll out the other way and be on his way down the field. But you don’t do that too many times up here. You can stand on the sideline, and hitting is so much different than what you hear in college.”
In a poll of 17 NFL personnel men asking for the best five quarterbacks in the class, Manziel earned eight first-place votes, more than Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, Derek Carr, and Zach Mettenberger.
The final point totals revealed Manziel with the highest amount at 68, followed by Bortles (61), Carr (49), Bridgewater (41), Jimmy Garappolo (16), Mettenberger (six), A.J. McCarron and Aaron Murray (five), Tom Savage (three), and Logan Thomas (one).
