FanPost

What exactly is wrong with EJ Manuel?

There has been a mini-debate on this board recently about EJ Manuel. So while I have seen a few games, I went to take a closer look at him.

And to that I ask: What exactly is wrong with him?

I see a guy who has pretty good touch, especially throwing to the hashes. I see a player who has a tremendous arm- maybe the best arm talent in the draft. He has a sturdy NFL body- measured in at 6-4 and 3/8, 237. He also has 10 1/2 inch hands and 35 inch arms (tied for 3rd longest at the Senior Bowl), which combined with his height gives him the potentially high, tough to knock down release point (if he can get his release point. He's been hardened IMO playing behind an OL that doesn't have a ton of NFL talent on it, he's been sacked a lot in his FSU tenure (yes, partially his fault). He has generally completed a high percentage and isn't exactly throwing to studs, and he's kept a pretty high YPA these past 2 years as well. And he's an above average runner as a QB, with good wheels and punishing size.

Now, anytime I see anyone say Manuel stinks, it's generally without a real reason. Sort of like "he sucks just because". Does he have warts? Yes, every prospect in this draft does. But I don't see why his flaws appear to everyone to seem uncorrectable. They are very correctable. You can teach footwork. You can teach decision making. You can teach (to a degree) pre-snap reads. But his size/speed combo is delicious. Culpepper was very successful even without ever having learned to read defenses.

I could see him rising throughout the process, may rise too high for my liking, but what makes Manuel an unworthy player to be a 3rd round pick, not worthy of being mentioned with guys like Glennon and Dysert and Bray?

This is a FanPost written by a registered member of this site. The views expressed here are those of the author alone and not those of anybody affiliated with Gang Green Nation or SB Nation.