Johnny Manziel has been in the spotlight more than anyone heading into the draft and with rumors coming out that he could slide out of the top 10, teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles or San Francisco 49ers could trade up to try and draft him if teams like the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans pass him up and that would truly shake up the first round on Thursday.
Manziel is one of the biggest mysteries in the draft, as he has all the talent in the world but many have questioned whether or not it will translate to the NFL. There have been tons of rumors regarding Manziel and when he will be drafted, with some experts predicting a top five or top three selections, while others have said he could slip past the top 10 and even into the second round. That drop is very unlikely though, as ESPN.com has reported that teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers all would be interested in drafting Manziel if they had the chance.
Realistically it's very unlikely that these teams will be in the mix for Manziel on Thursday, but stranger things have happened and he falls from the top 10, expect at least one team to trade up to snag him. The 49ers obviously don't need a QB with Colin Kaepernick in the fold, but Jim Harbaugh loves thinking outside the box and the 49ers have enough draft picks to make the move up if they want to. The team has 12 picks in the draft and while one of those is compensatory and can't be traded, the rest can get moved and that would be in line with what the team has done in the past.
The team traded up for Eric Reid last season and did the same with Kaepernick and if Manziel somehow gets past the top 10 and into the second stage, Harbaugh could pull the trigger. The team has two second round picks and two third rounders that can be traded and those are very valuable in a draft like this. Manziel won a Heisman Trophy and set numerous records in college and someone like Harbaugh or Chip Kelly could have a field day with him in the league. Kelly would love to have Manziel, as he fits right in with his offensive style and he could be a nice compliment to Nick Foles in the offense.
The Cowboys have been mentioned numerous times in relation to Manziel, but that is more of a dream than anything real for Jerry Jones. The team would have a hard time passing him up at number 16, but it likely will take a trade to get that deal done and the Cowboys may not want to do that for a position where they already have an established starter. The Cowboys would love to have Manziel stay in Texas and he could be a big draw, but the team is also trying to win and picking a QB in the first round when Tony Romo is there is likely not the way to do it.
