The quarterbacks have arrived at the NFL Combine, and already questions are being raised about potential franchise changing passers like Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M), Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville).
Manziel is the biggest fish in the Combine pond this week, after becoming college football's biggest star over two seasons at Texas A&M that included a shocking upset of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Still, the former Heisman winner is looked upon as potentially too small to withstand the rigors of a full NFL season, and he measured just under six feet tall this week, and 207 lbs.
Despite those questions, Manziel's statistics paint a picture of a franchise savior, and he's already comparing himself to Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, the five feet, 11 inch signal caller of the Seahawks. "I think he's kicked the door wide open," Manziel said of Wilson.
"You're seeing more guys being successful avoiding that first wave of pressure -- get out and do things outside the pocket." Although he's far from a prototypical build, his hands measured big, 9 7/8 inches, which might ease scouts' concerns about his ability to protect the football in a collapsing pocket.
Entering the college season Manziel had the spotlight, but Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater was the crème de la crème of the QB class. This season he was tremendously accurate, completing 71 percent of his passes and winging 31 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He possesses the type of size scouts like, measuring at six feet, two inches and 214 lbs., but his hands were very small for his size.
Bridgewater's hands were measured at 9 ¼ inches, smaller than Manziel's, and he wore a glove on it throughout his Louisville career. Back in October a scout said Bridgewater's gloved hand "kind of freaks me out a little bit," and also noted that Louisville's competition "hasn't exactly been murderer's row."
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