Florida State Football: What Kind of Success Will E.J. Manuel Find in the NFL?

Manuel will be entering his senior season at FSU this year, after having been a good QB to lead the 'Noles offense for two years.

Now, of course, Manuel should be focusing on his last season so he can lead the Seminoles to the greatness that they have been hyped to achieve. But that doesn't mean we can't look forward to the future a bit.

Numerous draft boards have Manuel as being in the top five of quarterbacks chosen, and for good reason. He does show a lot of the mechanics and and athletic ability to become a good starting quarterback in the NFL. Let's break down some of those qualities.

Perhaps his biggest strength is just that. Manuel has quite the arm and overall power for a quarterback. He can make any throw on the football field, and especially excels in long throws.

Adversely, he still does need to work on his short pass accuracy. He doesn't have a quick release/three-step drop, which is needed to be a good quarterback in the NFL. That will come with experience, though, so one more season at FSU should fix that up.

One thing that I noticed E.J. improved on was the zip he put on his throws, which surely helped him this year. He seemed to put a little more speed behind the ball instead of letting it float.

The second biggest asset that Manuel has are his legs. Don't mistake him for a Michael Vick or Cam Newton, though. While he can run, it is mainly for escaping pressure, not for long bursts down field (though he is capable of doing that). Either way, it is a great asset to have.

The only knocks I have on Manuel are his under-pressure troubles and his ability to read coverage over the middle.

When the pocket is collapsed (and that certainly did happen a lot this year), Manuel tends to panic and start running around without any direction instead of looking towards receivers or just throwing it away.

The second criticism is not as relevant, but still needs improvement. E.J. throws to the outside a lot, which allows for big plays, but seems to struggle with throwing up the middle. He looked better this year, though he still has room to improve.

If you ask me, he seems to be a sort of Joe Flacco/Ben Roethlisberger type, but with legs to make big plays and escape pressure if needed.

The final verdict: Manuel definitely has a future ahead of him at the next level, but he will need to fix his weaknesses with a strong 2012 campaign. Realistically, I see him being drafted in the first two rounds and being benched to learn under a veteran. 

Once he is given the ability to start, the sky is the limit for E.J. Manuel.