The debate rages on about how high former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel should be taken in the upcoming NFL Draft. Some say at the top, some say not at all.
Former NFL quarterback and NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner simply says he’d take defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney before Manziel.
Manziel apparently wowed a lot of analysts and scouts at his recent pro day (although, how tough is it to look good against a guy chasing you with a broom), but even with his impressive performance, Warner isn’t convinced that Manziel is the top man in the draft.
"“I want a guy that wants to win regardless of what he does, and I think Johnny’s that guy. The problem with Johnny is that there’s still a lot of questions, and some of it is because he’s only played two years in college. We don’t know what he’s going to be. To win in the National Football League, you have to win in the pocket. You have to know what you’re seeing. You have to be able to make those throws first, and I just don’t think we have the body of work to say he’s that guy.”"
And on Clowney:
"“I think Johnny Manziel is the guy that intrigues me the most, but I think (Jadeveon) Clowney is such a rare, physical specimen, a guy that you’re not going to see very often in this business, and because I have a few questions about the quarterback position, I’d probably go that direction.”"
It’s probably not the best idea to make any real judgement on a quarterback from a pro day anyway. Things are laid out and planned to make it all look nice and tidy, and Manziel’s “sideshow” (as described by Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer) only added to that aura.
One thing is for certain, if you can find any two people who have an identical opinion of where Manziel should fall in this draft and whether or not he’ll make it in the NFL, you’ve accomplished more than Manziel did at his pro day.