As the college football season rolls along, Johnny Manziel appears poised to win his second-straight Heisman trophy. As the Texas A&M quarterback puts up another big season, he is turning the heads of every NFL scout. Some believe he is the real deal when it comes to making it in the NFL while others are questioning every aspect of his talent. One person completely sold on Manziel's top draft stock, Drew Brees.
Brees can relate to Manziel in some sense. The odds were certainly stacked against the New Orleans Saints quarterback with plenty of people doubting his future. It is hard to think the same is being said about Manziel, but standing at just 6-feet tall makes him questionable as a pro player. Quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are a solid six inches taller. Brees has no doubt that Manziel will develop into an effective NFL player.
"Yeah, absolutely," Brees said, via FOX Sports. "It's hard for a young quarterback to come in this league and have success immediately. That's more the exception than the rule. What those three rookie quarterbacks were able to accomplish last season - [Robert Griffin III], Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson - was pretty phenomenal. That's not easy to do at all. He is a heck of a player. He's fun to watch. He makes all kinds of plays. [There are] guys like [Manziel] in this league. Russell Wilson and his ability to run the football and extend plays outside the pocket and throw the ball down the field. Intermediate [routes], I mean he can do it all."
So far this season, Manziel has put up 3,313 yards passing and 31 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 611 yards and eight touchdowns. He is as dynamic as ever, so which team appears poised to sign the Aggies star?
Many NFL analysts are expecting the Cleveland Browns to be the most likely team to take a quarterback in the first round. Brandon Weeden is essentially non-existent with the team. Brian Hoyer appeared like a nice contender for a future with the team, but a season-ending knee injury will likely squash his future. Jason Campbell has shown promise, but not likely as a franchise player. CEO Joe Banner certainly praised the talent in the roster, but did not give a ringing endorsement towards anyone's future.
"I think we're going to have to get to the end of the season and see exactly where we are," Banner said, per Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. "Our commitment to the draft is to try and pick (up) the best players we can as opposed to trying to force anything at any positions. So I think we've got a lot left to learnas the season goes on in terms of finding what we want to do and where the strengths of the draft are."
Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater, Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Alabama's AJ McCarron are all options to go early in the draft, but as the college football season comes to an end soon, Manziel remains at the top of the list.
