Johnny Manziel's Latest Draft-Day Projections from Top NFL Experts

Unsurprisingly, when it comes to the most polarizing player in the draft, there is no one who is more difficult to project. 

Johnny Manziel meshes unbelievable athleticism, untouchable elusiveness in the pocket and a high football IQ with a less-than-ideal frame and perceived off-the-field red flags. He is equal parts electrifying game changer and head coach's worst nightmare. 

Although he has remained in the center of the national spotlight for quite some time, getting a read on how NFL executives view him is a different story entirely. 

Of course, that's not to say there isn't an agreement about his potential landing spot. Take a look at where experts from around the country have most recently slotted the former Texas A&M star: 

Expert	Site	Projected Team	Projected Pick	Updated
Matt Miller	Bleacher Report	Cleveland Browns	4	May 5
Todd McShay	ESPN	Cleveland Browns	4	May 5
Mel Kiper	ESPN	Cleveland Browns	4	April 29
Charles Davis	NFL.com	Cleveland Browns	4	May 6
Daniel Jeremiah	NFL.com	Cleveland Browns	4	May 5
Charley Casserly	NFL.com	Not in First Round	-	May 5
Bucky Brooks	NFL.com	Jacksonville Jaguars	3	May 1
Rob Rang	CBS Sports	Cleveland Browns	4	May 5
Dane Brugler	CBS Sports	Cleveland Browns	4	May 5
Pete Prisco	CBS Sports	Cleveland Browns	4	May 6
Pat Kirwan	CBS Sports	Oakland Raiders	5	May 2
Will Brinson	CBS Sports	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7	May 5
Peter King	Sports Illustrated	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7	May 5
Josh Norris	Rotoworld	Cleveland Browns	4	May 5
Evan Silva	Rotoworld	Cleveland Browns	26	May 5
Shaun King	Rotoworld	Not in First Round	-	May 5
Thor Nystrom	Rotoworld	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7	May 5
Gayle Saunders	Rotoworld	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7	May 5

Links: Matt Miller's seven-round mock, ESPN mocks, NFL.com mocks, CBS Sports' mocks, Peter King's mock, Rotoworld's mocks

As you can see, Manziel doesn't seem that polarizing at all. Cleveland is clearly the popular projection for his NFL destination—but then Fox Sports' Jay Glazer came along and threw this major curveball into the mix:

Sure, it could be a smoke screen by the Browns, but Glazer is rarely ever wrong. 

If the Browns are truly not interested in the dynamic QB, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be next on the consensus experts list. That would make sense considering the recent rumors: Mike Glennon had an encouraging rookie season under center, but with a new coaching staff in town, ESPN's Adam Caplan, via The Tampa Tribune's Roy Cummings, recently said the 24-year-old "is going to be good as gone."

To make things even more intriguing, reports have surfaced, via Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, that the Bucs are trying to move up to No. 2:

"

There’s chatter in league circles that the Buccaneers could end up being the team that moves up to No. 2 from No. 7.

It’s unclear what it would take to make the leap by five spots. It’s also unclear who/whom/whatever the Bucs would target with the second pick.

"

Florio conjectured that if Jason Licht made that move, it would be for either Manziel or explosive wide receiver Sammy Watkins. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders are the only other projections, but the consensus seems to be that Gus Bradley is looking for a defensive player, while Glazer, via NFL writer Luke Easterling, crossed the latter off the list: 

It's only seems appropriate that just a day before the draft, Manziel—a player who pundits and fans have always seemed split down the middle on—is so difficult to project. 

Ultimately, if Glazer is accurate as usual and Manziel falls past the Browns, it's hard to imagine him falling past Lovie Smith and the Bucs. 

However, a draft-day tumble for Johnny Football is starting to look more and more likely—something that many NFL teams may soon regret.