Johnny Manziel And First Round Quarterback Busts

by Chase Stuart on March 12, 2016

Worse than Tim Couch

Johnny Manziel was drafted by Cleveland with the 22nd pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. That wasn’t a very long time ago, but Manziel was released yesterday after two tumultuous seasons. He went 2-6 as a starter with more off-the-field headlines than wins (or, probably, starts). There were 50 quarterbacks who threw 200 passes since 2014, and Manziel ranks 47th among those players in Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt.

Let’s ignore Eli Manning and Philip Rivers, who were traded for each other the day both players were drafted. And Kelly Stouffer, Jim Everett, and John Elway, who couldn’t work out contracts with the teams that drafted them (Cardinals, Oilers, Colts) and instead began their playing careers with other teams (Seahawks, Rams, and Broncos). That leaves 95 quarterbacks drafted in the first round since the common draft began in 1967. ^[1]Excluding quarterbacks drafted in the Supplemental Draft.

Manziel became the 9th of those 95 quarterbacks to finish with zero, one, or two wins with the team that drafted him.

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Quarterback	Year	Pk	Tm	Seas	TD	GS	Wins
Dan Marino	1983	27	mia	17	420	240	147
Peyton Manning	1998	1	clt	13	399	208	141
Ben Roethlisberger	2004	11	pit	12	272	169	113
Terry Bradshaw	1970	1	pit	14	212	158	107
Jim Kelly	1983	14	buf	11	237	160	101
Phil Simms	1979	7	nyg	14	199	159	95
Troy Aikman	1989	1	dal	12	165	165	94
Bob Griese	1967	4	mia	14	192	151	92
Donovan McNabb	1999	2	phi	11	216	142	92
Aaron Rodgers	2005	24	gnb	11	257	119	80

Showing 1 to 10 of 95 entries

In the last 15 years, four quarterbacks were drafted in the first round and won five or fewer games with their original team. Three of those men were drafted by the Browns. I’m not sure where Manziel ranks on the Brady Quinn–Brandon Weeden quarterback bust scale, but it seems he has earned a special place on that continuum.

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References
↑1	Excluding quarterbacks drafted in the Supplemental Draft.

Tagged as: Johnny Manziel

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