Johnny Manziel Will Take Game to New Levels After Draft-Day Slide

Johnny Manziel had to sit still and wait his turn for a long time Thursday night. Already one of the most polarizing players in the 2014 NFL draft, the agonizing wait to hear his name called once again made him the center of discussion.

Manziel's slide to the late first round will give him the motivation he needs to rescue the struggling Cleveland Browns franchise and become a top-tier NFL quarterback.

Manziel has a long list of NFL franchises to prove wrong. Even the team that drafted him passed on him once.

The Browns took Justin Gilbert, a cornerback out of Oklahoma State, with the No. 8 pick in the draft. As Manziel continued to wait for his chance to walk across the stage and shake Roger Goodell's hand, the Browns made a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to move up from No. 26 to No. 22, where they finally took the pressure off Manziel.

Some media outlets couldn't help but note how dismissive NFL teams are when it comes to drafting quarterbacks of Manziel's diminutive stature. ESPN pointed out this historical tidbit:

Despite the wait, Johnny Football was elated to be in Cleveland. He did acknowledge the draft-day slide leaves him with something to prove. Via Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer:

"

I believe (I will have a chip on my shoulder). What a blessing and an honor it is, but at the same time, a lot of teams passed me up, so it's just like I think with anybody, you do grow a little bit of a chip, but you try to get better and become a good football player.'

"

The rest of the NFL should take this as a warning sign.

Manziel is famous not only for his improvisational heroics but for his ultra-competitive nature on the gridiron as well. Browns head coach Mike Pettine cited Manziel's passion as a reason for drafting the former Aggie.

Manziel's fall was likely a result of the Jacksonville Jaguars taking Blake Bortles with the No. 3 overall pick. the 6'4", 230-pound Bortles certainly fits the ideal physical dimensions of an NFL quarterback, but he can't claim to have nearly the same level of production over the last two years as Manziel.

Player	Games	Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions	Completion %	Rushing Yards	Rushing Touchdowns
Bortles	27	6,640	50	16	65.3	557	14
Manziel	26	7,820	63	22	68.9	2,169	30

Manziel will have to compete with history to succeed as the Browns quarterback. The franchise is notorious for being a quarterback graveyard, with 20 different starters taking the reins since the franchise resurrected in 1999.

Even ESPN Stats & Info noted the ominous nature of Manziel going No. 22 to the Browns.

Manziel appears unfazed by the grisly trail of Browns quarterbacks that came before him. Per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle:

"If something happens, and it's the Cleveland Browns, I'm going to pour my heart out for the Dawg Pound and try to win a Super Bowl for Cleveland," he said back in February. "I don't care if they've had 20 starting quarterbacks since 1999. I'm going to be the 21st and the guy that brought them the Super Bowl."

History may be only a paper foe, but Manziel will have to surpass at least one of those starters in training camp in the present.

Brian Hoyer was serviceable at quarterback for the Browns in 2013. In three games, he finished with 615 yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions and an 82.6 quarterback rating. Not eye-popping numbers, but decent considering the Browns' usual quarterback carousel.

Hoyer has complete confidence in himself, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. This should only motivate Manziel further.

Manziel will also find Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen in camp with him this summer. Both are veterans looking to reestablish their credentials in the NFL, but that doesn't mean they won't provide Manziel with quality competition.

Manziel has fired up the Browns' fanbase, but he still has plenty of work to do to become an elite NFL quarterback. He will have to learn to, despite his stature, become a better pocket passer—someone like New Orleans' Drew Brees, who's had enormous success despite standing 6'0".

Still, Manziel has much greater mobility than Brees, and he should be able to work on his footwork enough to move around in the pocket and find passing lanes. If Manziel can put the pocket presence, mobility and leadership skills together, he should be able to compete with Hoyer and challenge for a starting job early in his NFL career.