The Houston Texans are reportedly leaning toward selecting Jadeveon Clowney, not Johnny Manziel, with the No. 1 pick of the 2014 NFL draft. Clowney's talent and speed has Houston thinking the South Carolina defensive end could "redefine the position," according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.
Initial reports pegged Manziel, the 2012 Heisman-winning quarterback from Texas A&M, as going first overall to Houston. ESPN's Mel Kiper predicted Manziel to go to Houston in his first mock draft, and a report from SportsOnEarth.com claimed Manziel was Texans owner Bob McNair's preferred pick.
Clowney's impressive showing at the combine, however, may have changed Houston's stance.
"A number of NFL team sources say the Texans are now favoring taking Clowney with the first pick in the draft," Freeman wrote on Wednesday. "... (An) official inside the Texans organization told me that Clowney's speed, despite being so physically imposing, was one of the more stunning things he'd seen in a long time."
"We've never really seen anything like Clowney," the official told Freeman. "There's the chance he could redefine the position the way Reggie White or Bruce Smith did."
Clowney astounded scouts with his 40-yard dash. His 4.53 time is unheard of for a defensive end, and it's faster than the 40-time of every starting NFL quarterback except for Robert Griffin III.
Freeman does admit, though, Houston could be disseminating misinformation.
"The information comes with a caveat - at this time of the year everyone lies about everything," Freeman wrote. "It's always difficult to decipher what is true and what's a smokescreen around draft time."
The NFL draft begins on Thursday, May 8.
