The 2014 NFL draft can be described as exciting and tense. This year, the draft drew nearly 14 million viewers, which was more than the NBA and NHL playoff games that were airing at the same time. This crowd was drawn because the media and the NFL have sensationalized Johnny “Football” Manziel over the last year. Many people were expecting Mr. Football to go first overall, and at worst, third overall; however, this was not the case.
Houston chose Jadeveon Clowney, which was expected, and after many had anticipated that, it was expected that Manziel would obviously go to the Jags. When Jacksonville got up to the microphone, everyone expected Manziel’s name to come up. Instead, they selected QB Blake Bortles, which shocked all the viewers and created a panic at Radio City Music Hall. Eventually, Manziel ended up going to the Cleveland Browns with the 22nd pick in the draft, which was a large drop from what was thought. There are many reasons that Manziel slipped out of the top 5.
Firstly, this draft was stocked with talent at every position except for RB and QB. Sure, some of the quarterbacks were okay in this draft, but there was no standout player such as Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, or Aaron Rodgers. Because of this, teams drafted based on positional needs. Firstly, Manziel was expected to go to Houston, but Houston is currently on the verge of signing Patriots backup QB Ryan Mallet. Due to this, they did not need a quarterback, so they chose the best defensive player in the draft. Next, the Jaguars were expected to pick Manziel, but they have transitioned to a pass team, and Blake Bortles seemed like a better fit for a high-flying offense. After this, the Raiders decided to pass on him in favor of Matt Schaub, the Cowboys realized that Tony Romo is the future because of his contract, and the Jets decided to give Michael Vick a shot. All of these teams, with the exception of the Jags, had a viable quarterback option that was good to go, and they did not see any reason to take a chance on an overall poor QB draft class.
Aside from this, Manziel also fell because he was also widely regarded as the most overrated player in the NFL draft. If RGIII has shown the world anything, it is that quarterbacks that cannot play in the pocket are too much of a liability. This is why Bortles went as the first QB taken. Teams are moving towards security before all else, and Manziel does not provide a safe quarterback option. On any of his big college plays, there was a huge chance for concussions or leg injuries, and teams are not willing to take that chance in today’s NFL.