Johnny Manziel's Wonderlic Score Tops Among First Round QB Prospects; Why Roger Staubach is Sold
ByJohnny Manziel continues to captivate his audience ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft, scoring higher than any other top QB prospects on the Wonderlic test.
Albert Breer, of the NFL Network, learned Manziel scored a 32 on the pre-draft test meant to measure cognitive ability. Players are given 12 minutes to answer 50 questions and then rated on how many they answer correctly. A score of 20 is considered average, the IQ equivalent of 100.
At the combine, Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel rang up an impressive score of 32 on the Wonderlic, I'm told. Should help his cause.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 11, 2014
ESPN reported Blake Bortles scored a 28 on the test and Teddy Bridgewater scored a 20. Along with Manziel, all three are expected to be drafted within the first 10 selections of the NFL Draft next month. The only QB who scored higher than Manziel this year was Cornell's Jeff Matthews, who scored a 40.
Good scores on the Wonderlic test are not always indicators of success in the NFL. For example, Ryan Fitzpatrick, a Harvard graduate, scored a 48 on the test and is currently on his fifth different NFL roster. Out of Alabama, Greg McElroy also scored a 48, but retired after one season in the NFL.
The Wonderlic is meant to measure cognitive ability for and has been used in other career fields since it was developed in 1983. For example, the average score of an engineer or programmer is 29, the average score of a receptionist or machinist is 21 and a janitor averages a score of 14.
A score of 32, Manziel's score, is the average of a systems analyst. Colin Kaepernick and Andrew Luck each scored a 38 on the test, tying for the highest score in the last three years. Comparatively, Blaine Gabbert, a 2011 first round draft pick, scored a 42 and has not had the same success.
Manziel's Wonderlic score is the just the most recent example of the media's fascination with his draft stock. While Mel Kiper Jr. predicted the former Texas A&M star would go first overall to the Houston Texans, the draft expert now has him going eighth overall to the Minnesota Vikings.
If it were up to Dallas Cowboys all-time great passer Roger Staubach, the Texans would not pass on Manziel.
"I think there's something about this kid," Staubach told CBS Sports. "I think Manziel's going to be a valuable player in the NFL. Clowney's also going to be a great player, but you need a quarterback. I'd go for Manziel.
"He doesn't have the height, but he has a strong arm and he throws with accuracy."
