Johnny Manziel - QB -Texas A & M
Combine Numbers:
- Height/Weight: 5'11 3/4" /207 lbs
- 40 yard dash: 4.68 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 31.5 inches
- Broad Jump: 113.0 inches
- 3 Cone Drill: 6.75 seconds
- 20 yard shuttle: 4.03 seconds
Johnny Manziel Highlights - Top 10 Plays
Player Overview
- Rated by Rivals as a 3 out of 5 star recruit out of high school
- Also recruited by Oregon
- He was also recruited as a defensive back
- 2012: First freshman in history to win the Heisman Trophy
- 2012: Passed for over 3,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards, scored 43 total touchdowns
- 2012 Davey O'Brien Award winner as nation's top quarterback
- 2012: SEC Offensive Player of the Year
- 2012: SEC Freshman of the Year
- 2012: Led Aggies in rushing
- First Team All SEC: Twice
- 2013: Rallied Aggies from a 38-17 halftime deficit to a 52-28 win!
Strengths
- One of the most electrifying players in college football history
- The Pistol Pete of college football
- Very good field awareness, looks as he has eyes in the back of his head
- 69% career passing percentage
- Throws ball from different arm positions
- Terrific scrambling ability
- Has really big hands, allows him to pull the ball back during his throwing motion
- Mentally and physically tough
- Responds to challenges
- Has a knack for making big plays and keeps drives going
- More accurate on the move than standing in the pocket
- Respected by teammates for his work ethic and commitment to team
- Has proven that he can win big games
- Is the best athlete of the 2014 quarterback class
Weaknesses
- Marginal height for quarterback at 5'11 3/4"
- Scrambles at times when he should step up in the pocket
- Has never worked under center, was in shotgun in high school as well
- Is known to party too much
- Only started for 2 years in college
- His maturity level is in question
My Analysis
I do believe that Johnny Manziel is the best quarterback in the 2014 NFL Draft, but I do not think the Houston Texans should draft him with their first overall pick. I believe that Matt Schaub can be a much better quarterback this year and I think the Texans should keep him and work on their defense. If the Texans draft Manziel their defense will still rank at the bottom of the league in sacks and interceptions. The Texans must make their defense better if they want to improve.
I only have three questions about Johnny Manziel: his maturity level, his ability to learn how to play quarterback under center, and him becoming comfortable in the pocket.
Manziel is saying all the right things right now about understanding that he is going to be the face of a franchise and that he must make better decisions, but he must prove that he will put his job as quarterback first and everything else second.
Teaching a quarterback to play under center does not sound hard, but it is. It is totally different from being back in the shotgun. Most NFL quarterbacks have worked on center-quarterback exchanges countless times, but Manziel has never been under center that I know of. His high school highlight tapes show him in the shotgun as well. Playing quarterback is hard enough without having to worry about learning how to take a snap from under center.
The last question I have about Johnny Manziel is whether he can learn to become comfortable staying in the pocket and stepping up in the pocket instead of taking off and running. The defensive players in the NFL are much bigger and faster than what he has faced in college and the more time he spends out of the pocket the more chances that he takes a big hit and gets injured. He must learn to stay in the pocket, go through his reading progression and only run as a last resort.
I believe Johnny Manziel will have a very good NFL career if he becomes a more mature person, gets comfortable and successful at playing under center, and learns to stay in the pocket instead of running too quickly.