NFL Draft Pick

Andrew Choi, Sports Editor

Ever since the end of the Super Bowl, football fans have circled May 8 on their calendars, and all attention has gone to the Houston Texans for their No.1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. While some say they should select South Carolina’s Defensive Lineman Jadeveon Clowney, others predict that the team will select Central Florida’s Quarterback Blake Bortles. In my eyes, the Texans have to  go all out and select Texas A&M’s Quarterback Johnny Manziel as the No.1 overall pick for the team to rebound and become a championship contender in a couple of years.

Manziel is a once-in-a generation quarterback.  He first bursted onto the scene after becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, finishing the season with 3,706 passing yards, 1,410 rushing yards, and 26 total touchdowns. He also became the only player in NCAA history to have 5,000 total yards and 1,000 rushing yards in one season. In his two year career at Texas A&M, Manziel has broken 35 NCAA, SEC, and school records. These are not the stats of an average college quarterback prospect. These are the stats of a NFL superstar in the making.

Manziel is also not the prototypical quarterback. Standing only at 6 feet tall, he is short for an NFL quarterback; however, Manziel has different and better intangibles that no other quarterback in the league has. He has a scrambling ability like Pittsburgh Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Manziel can spin off any tackle in the pocket, juke any defensive linemen, and even gain yards on broken plays when he appears to be trapped.  Manziel also can throw deep balls like Seattle Quarterback Russell Wilson. On his pro-day, Manziel showed excellent deep-ball accuracy and arm strength with 32 scouts watching.  He is just a playmaker that every franchise dreams of having on their team.

Manziel is a high risk and a high reward player. With numerous issues off the field, many teams hesitate to select him in the 2014 draft. However, no other quarterback can change the tempo of a game better than Manziel. His competitive nature and athletic ability will carry him a long way in the NFL.