Houston Texans: Johnny Manziel excels at pro day

Feb 23, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel runs the shuttle dash during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

As I watched the pro day of potential first-round pick quarterback Johnny Manziel on Thursday, I can’t say I wasn’t impressed with his throws, because I was, but really, what did we learn that we already didn’t know?

Manziel completed nearly every pass he attempted, as he did wear a helmet and shoulder pads, which doesn’t happen at pro days. But we also have to remember these pro days are scripted to make the QB look his absolute best.

I still want to know how Manzel, who is under 6-foot tall, can perform against an actual NFL caliber defense, not how well he throws with a broom waving in his face, because I’m guessing the pressure J.J. Watt or Jared Allen brings to the field on a Sunday is a little tougher than a broom.

Manziel called plays in the huddle, which I liked, and even with former President of the United States George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush looking on, along with Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien and general manager Rick Smith on hand, Manziel didn’t crack under the heavy pressure.

I did like the deep passes Manziel passed to another potential first-round pick Mike Evans, as they both showed off their top skill set in this pro day.

A quick note on Evans … he’s really good and will be a steal if he doesn’t get selected in the Top 10 of this draft.

Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle wrote about the Manziel pro day:

"“He (Manziel) thrived in an even brighter glow Thursday during his personal pro day.”"

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle wrote:

"“Manziel connected on 61 of 64 passes … He took every snap from under center and was off target on only one pass.”"

Earlier in the day on ESPN, former NFL QB and current ESPN football analyst Ron Jaworski said he had Manziel as his fifth-ranked QB in the draft, ranking Derek Carr ahead of Manziel at fourth. His top-rated QB was Blake Bortles.

I still believe the Texans are better off selecting Bortles or Teddy Bridgewater as their No. 1 selection if they are going to take a QB with that pick; if not, they need to look at defense.

Let us know your thoughts on Manziel and the potential of him being the next Texans QB.

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