Steelers CB Ike Taylor is no general manager, and his team doesn't need a quarterback.
But when asked to wear the draft-day GM hat and select a quarterback No. 1 overall, Taylor went with the one who caught his eye during an offseason workout at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports complex: Johnny Manziel. The former Texas A&M star was there last month to film his Gruden QB Camp episode with Jon Gruden, and went through a workout that impressed Taylor.
"I like Johnny. He's like a rock star," Taylor said, according to tmz.com. "Say what you want, the kid is good. You have to have confidence to play quarterback, and he definitely doesn't lack that."
Taylor said Manziel isn't the only quarterback prospect he spent time with this offseason, also working out with Alabama's AJ McCarron, Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater and UCF's Blake Bortles. But Manziel apparently is his guy. Taylor said other NFL veterans on hand were equally impressed with the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner. Whether Manziel has a strong-enough offseason focus on football is among the questions being considered by NFL teams evaluating him, despite the fact that his Texas A&M teammates have, to a man, sworn by his work ethic. Taylor clearly has no such concerns, either.
"I know one thing for sure, he's gonna perform ... and he's gonna hate to lose," Taylor added.
Taylor could get his fill of Manziel twice a season if the AFC North rival Cleveland Browns end up drafting him, and it wouldn't take long for them to square off. If Manziel were to land in Cleveland and win the starting job, he would make his career debut in Pittsburgh in a season-opening game on Sept. 7.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
