Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’5 Weight: 237 Arms: 35 Hands: 10 3/8 40 time: 4.65
Lets play a little trivia game……Who is the only Florida State quarterback to go 4-0 in bowl games? This is a hard question because the Seminoles have had many great quarterbacks. Any guess??? Chris Weinke? Charlie Ward??? well it wasEJ Manuel. He has played in 4 bowl games at Florida State and won everyone of them.
EJ Manuel is from Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was a 5 star recruit and was highly touted. He decided to go with Bobby Bowden and Florida State. He didn’t start his freshman or sophomore year but came in for injury prone Christian Ponder. He ended up getting the job his junior year after Ponder enter the NFL Draft. His record during his 4 years at Florida state was 25-6. Won the Gator Bowl, Chick-fil-A Bowl, Champ Sports Bowl and Orange Bowl.
Strength:
+ Knows when to stay in the pocket or run out of it. Never puts them in a bad situation.
+ Doesn’t take hits. Slides when the play is over or goes to the sideline.
+ Puts the ball in front of the receivers when he passes it so they can run after the catch for big plays.
+ Has great touch on the ball so he can throw it over the top of the defense.
+ A lot of his incompletions were because of easy drops by his wide outs so his completion percentage would be higher.
+ He was the best quarterback at the senior bowl and was named MVP.
+ His eyes are focused on the receiver so he can read the defense.
+ Really sets up the screen passes well. You can see that he was coached up.
Need Improvement
– very loose with the ball. Keeps holding it with one hand. Keep two hands on the ball.
– Goes to the check down too quick. Goes to one read then dump it.
– Needs to work on his play action more. Stick it into the running back stomach then pull it out.
– Crosses his feet when he drops back.
-Some of his passes get batted at the line of scrimmage.
– Doesn’t have the strongest arm but he can zip the ball, just not the best of them like Ryan Nassib.
Summary
After looking at the tapes of all the quarterbacks in 2013 NFL Draft, I thought EJ Manuel was the best one. He has won games at a big time program for 4 years, has all the physicals tools, you want in a quarterback and doesn’t buckle under pressure. Now is he perfect? No but has shown he works at his craft and listens to his coaches. That is so important in the game of football. Some people were shocked that he was the 1st off the board but he is somebody who could be a great leader for a team. Now he will be unfairly graded because of Wilson or RGIII or Luck but give him 3 years in the same system then we might not look at this draft pick as a reach but a steal.
Hard Count 