Will the Raiders draft Manziel?
NEW YORK, NY (The Spread) – Will the Raiders tab Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel as their new franchise quarterback next week? One NFL draft analyst believes they will.
Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage believes if Sammy Watkins or Khalil Mack are off the board, than the Raiders should either select Manziel or his Texas A&M teammate Mike Evans. With Watkins a potential fit for Cleveland at No. 4 and Mack slotted to go to Jacksonville at No. 3 in many mock drafts, it’s highly possible that both prospects will be off the board when the Raiders are on the clock at No. 5.
That said, Oakland did trade for veteran quarterback Matt Schaub earlier this offseason so the team may not feel as though quarterback is a pressing need. If the Raiders choose to wait a round, they could nab Fresno State’s Derek Carr or Alabama’s A.J. McCarron in the second round. Then again, Schaub is coming off two brutal years in Houston and isn’t a long-term answer, so maybe the Raiders will tab Manziel to be their future signal caller.
It would be a small upset if the Raiders were to draft Evans. The 6-foot-5 receiver has been climbing draft boards for the past month, but he’s not expected to be taken ahead of Watkins. Still, once slotted to go in the teens, Evans looks like he could be a top 10 pick come next week. If Oakland passes on him, Evans could be an option for Tampa Bay at No. 8.
After months of speculation, it’ll be nice to finally see what happens in the first-round of the 2014 NFL Draft, which will kick off on Thursday night.
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!