Johnny Manziel impressed NFL head coaches and George H.W. Bush at his Texas A&M Pro Day on Thursday, and now Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is endorsing the young quarterback.
Rice told NFL Network that Manziel should be a “no-brainer” choice for the Houston Texans, who have the top overall pick in the NFL Draft.
“If he can just relax, stay in the pocket, deliver the ball down the field with accuracy and get the ball in the hands of his playmakers, I think it’s a no-brainer for the Houston Texans to take this guy,” Rice said.
The retired wide receiver compared Manziel to fellow Hall of Famer Steve Young, who had a tendency of running the football at the beginning of his NFL career.
Rice also dismissed the idea that the 21-year-old rookie is not mature enough to handle a big-money contract.
“The guy showed me that he can drop back, he can deliver the ball with accuracy, and he likes that big stage,” Rice said. “I think he proved to everybody that ‘look, I deserve to be that number one guy.'”
