NFL Draft 2014: Raiders GM praises Johnny Manziel
By Josh Sanchez
Johnny Manziel will be one of the most controversial prospects in the 2014 NFL Draft class, with some scouts falling in love with his playmaking ability and others showing concern about whether or not his style of play will allow his body to hold up at the next level.
This will leave a number of teams internally battling in the war room on draft day about Manziel when they are on the clock and in the weeks leading up to selection day, but Manziel has support from at least one general manager picking in the top five.
According to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com, Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie is among the people who happen to be smitten by Manziel’s playmaking ways.
“He’s a playmaker,” McKenzie said. “Whether it’s him or one of these other guys, when you can add a playmaker, that’s what you shoot for.”
Of course, the Cleveland Browns are reportedly also very high on Manziel, so he may not even be available when the Raiders are on the clock. The Browns have the No. 4 overall pick in the draft — one pick before Oakland — so they may decide to roll the dice on the former Texas A&M signal-caller and leave Oakland looking for a different solution under center.