NFL quarterback turned ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski raised plenty of eyebrows last month when he said he wouldn’t draft former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel in the first three rounds. Now Jaworski would draft Manziel in the first three rounds. But just barely.
Jaworski said after seeing Manziel’s Pro Day workout that he now believes Manziel deserves to be a third-round draft pick.
“I certainly would move him up a bit,” Jaworski said. “I moved him from the fourth round to the third round.”
So what has changed? Jaworski believes that, on the evidence of Manziel’s Pro Day, Manziel’s offseason work has significantly improved his form as a passer. Jaworski said Manziel threw the ball more cleanly at his Pro Day today than he did during his college career.
“He was very inconsistent when I studied his tape — he had flawed mechanics,” Jaworski said. “What did we see today? Good mechanics. Improved mechanics.”
Of course, it’s easy to have good mechanics when the only defense you’re facing is a guy holding a broom. If Manziel’s mechanics were as bad against real defenses as Jaworski is making them out to be, a pro day shouldn’t be enough to eliminate those concerns.