Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans are going to announce their intentions to turn pro in 2014, reported NFL Media's Gil Brandt, citing unnamed sources.
Both Texas A&M Aggies stars are projected to be drafted in the first round and were the leaders of one of college football's most explosive offenses. Both sophomores were reportedly considering a return to college, but the jump to the NFL may not come as a surprise to many.
Brandt, a senior analyst for NFL Media, reported Monday, a day before the Chick-fil-A Bowl, that the game would be Manziel's and Evans' last of their college careers. Still, neither have publicly confirmed whether or not they will enter the 2014 NFL Draft.
No surprise but Manziel and Evans will be playing final college games tomorrow, multiple sources tell me. #TAMUvsDUKE
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) December 30, 2013
Evans is a clear favorite among teams seeking wide receivers. Over two full seasons, he hauled in 151 catches for 2,499 yards and 17 touchdowns. As a freshman, he averaged 13.5 yards a catch and then 20.2 as a sophomore. He is six-foot-five and weighs 225 lbs., a similar body type to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson.
Manziel, on the other hand, is considered slightly undersized at six-foot-one. Thanks to Russell Wilson and Drew Brees, listed at five-foot-11 and sox-foot respectively, NFL general managers may not care too much about size anymore. Also like Wilson and Brees, Manziel can get creative in the backfield by leaving the pocket, keeping plays alive and opening up different passing lanes.
Still, Manziel would be a part of a potentially crowded class of quarterbacks. Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater has already officially declared for the NFL Draft and is widely considered to be the top passing prospect. Also in the draft class of quarterbacks could be UCF's Blake Bortles (if he declares) and a group of seniors including Clemson's Tajh Boyd, Georgia's Aaron Murray, LSU's Zach Mettenberger and Fresno State's Derek Carr.
Manziel won the Heisman Trophy as a freshman and put up even bigger stats as a sophomore. He displayed a stronger throwing arm, accuracy down the field and less of an inclination to run with the ball under pressure.
A polarizing figure through and through, whatever team takes Manziel better be totally committed to accepting all the off-field headaches sure to accompany all the jaw-dropping moments he is known to produce on the field.
