Former Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel famously struggled at the NFL level with the Cleveland Browns. But despite the struggles, he detailed on Wednesday that he sees a lot of comparable traits that he had as a player in one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears are expected to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick when the draft kicks off later this month.
It’s hard to argue with this decision from the Bears should they ultimately end up selecting Wiliams. In two years as the full-time starter at USC, Williams threw for a whopping 72 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. His ability as a rusher is also a big selling point to NFL teams as well.
Manziel discussed his thoughts on Williams as a prospect, saying that he sees a bit of himself in Williams.
“Of course,” Manziel said when asked if he believed his game is comparable to Williams during an appearance on Undisputed. “The way he moves with his feet, the way he’s able to extend plays outside the pocket is uncanny. I think there’s not a doubt in my mind he’ll be the first quarterback probably taken off the board. What I hope for Caleb is that he gets somewhere that unlocks all of this. Somewhere that can bring this side out in him. Because these are plays that you can’t teach, you can’t coach, and that are just natural to who he is as a football player.”
Manziel has been pretty open in the past about why his NFL career didn’t work out. He ultimately didn’t take his preparation seriously and wasn’t properly taught how to play within the structure of an NFL offense.
Williams has all of the raw talent to do what Manziel wasn’t able to. So it will certainly be interesting to see if the Bears, or whatever team ends up taking him, is able to put a team around him that can help him succeed.
