Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is expected to declare for the 2014 NFL draft. Where he falls in the draft is anyone's guess - football scouts are concerned about Manziel's body type and off-field issues, Albert Breer of NFL.com reports.
Manziel is expected to be drafted, but where he goes in the draft and whether he'll be successful in the NFL is uncertain. The basic scouting report on Manziel, according to Breer, reads: "Average NFL arm strength, above-average accuracy, excellent athleticism."
Manziel's much-scrutinized height, officially listed as 6-foot-1 but thought to be between 5-foot-11 and 6-foot, isn't a major concern - it's his body type that has NFL scouts worried.
"It's not about his height, it's how he's built," an NFL scout told Breer. "He's a smaller-frame guy. He doesn't have the body type to get bigger, and that concerns you."
An AFC general manager used Russell Wilson as a comparison. Wilson is short, but he has a bigger build that can withstand NFL-caliber hits.
Scouts are also wary of Manziel's off-the-field behavior. His maturity is a major concern for scouts, who question whether Manziel can conduct himself as a professional.
"He has to overcome some obstacles, and one, really, is himself," the AFC general manager said. "He has to prove he has the maturity to lead 53 players, to take it serious. You're dealing with a lot of people's livelihood; everyone in the organization will have to rely on him to take it seriously, to not miss meetings, to not be late. It's one thing if a receiver or running back does that. It's another if it's the quarterback."
Manziel does have two saving graces: his athleticism and the direction the NFL is going with quarterbacks. If a team were willing to build an unconventional offense around his skill set, the 20-year-old could succeed in the NFL.
"Nowadays, you have to be special as a pocket passer to get away with being just that," a scout told Breer. "It's essential to have mobility to make it. I know he's 5-foot-11, 6-foot, but I believe with the way the league is going, with the success of the mobile quarterback, if he can grow up and study and work, he can be successful."
