Johnny Manziel Is a Must-Draft for Jacksonville Jaguars

Johnny Manziel has had quite a journey football-wise these past couple of years. In just two years in college, Manziel has developed a reputation for being one of the most electrifying players in the country, and it's his raw talent and taste for competition that has helped him have as much success as he has.

On the other side of the spectrum, you have the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

It's hard not to feel bad for the Jags. Ever since they were birthed into the league in the late 1990s, the Jaguars have had limited success and a whole lot of misfortunes. They've changed coaches and quarterbacks more than most people change their clothes. However, they finally seem to have a working formula in place.

As arguably the smartest hire they've ever made, Jags head coach Gus Bradley did a great job with the team last year, making clear improvements as the season went on. For a team with very little talent, they showed a lot of promise.

Now that they have the right coach in place, it's time to draft a real quarterback.

Year	Yards	TDs	INTs	QB Rating
2012	3,746	20	17	74.8
2013	3,722	14	21	56.3
Average per yr.	3,734	17	19	65.5

Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne have had many chances to take control of this franchise, but neither has done much besides throw interceptions. They combined for 21 picks in 2013, and that's just not going to cut it.

The Jaguars are in a very advantageous position and will be able to draft a talented quarterback at third overall.

The best, most realistic situation for them is nabbing Johnny Manziel at that third spot. Now, that's not to say that Manziel is the best overall quarterback prospect in this draft, because he's not. However, he will likely be the best quarterback available to them at that spot.

The Houston Texans have expressed interest in both Manziel and former UCF quarterback Blake Bortles, according to Sports on Earth. They may have tipped their hand a bit when they recently hired a former Central Florida staff member—their quarterbacks coach, no less.

Granted, this could all be a coincidence, but it could very well not be. Regardless, it looks like Manziel will be the best available choice for the Jaguars.

One could definitely argue that Teddy Bridgewater (my pick as this year's top quarterback) would be a better choice, but the Jaguars need more than a talented quarterback—they need flair, and Johnny Football has a ton of that.

While some could question his antics on and off the field, there's no denying that Manziel is a special kind of talent. His elusiveness and ability to remain slippery in the pocket really opened things up for the offense at Texas A&M, but his arm is nothing to scoff at, either.

Imagine Brett Favre with Michael Vick's mobility (the 2006 Vick, not old man Vick) and you pretty much have Manziel.

Given the offensive personnel that would be at his fingertips, Johnny Football would undoubtedly create a spark for the Jags offensively. He'd have three very fast, young and promising receivers in Denard Robinson, Cecil Shorts and Justin Blackmon; that combination alone would terrorize most defenses.

Also, if the Jags are to bring in a guy like Manziel, that may pique the interest of some free agents that would normally write off the Jaguars as a potential home. 

Plain and simple, he would breathe life into a Jaguars team that's been on life support since their last playoff run in 2007. Don't get me wrong, there are certainly things that Manziel must improve, and he certainly needs to do some growing up in some aspects, but his talent and star power will be too great to pass up.

And hey, who knows? Maybe Drake will even come to a couple of home games.