What round was Johnny Manziel drafted in? A look at who drafted the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner

People expected great things of Johnny Manziel after his freshman season in college football. Playing quarterback for the Texas A&M Aggies, Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, Manning Award, and the Davey O'Brien Award.

His memorable performance, leading the Aggies to a 41-13 victory over Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, capped off an amazing season.

When Manziel announced in January 2014 that he would forgo his junior season in order to enter the NFL draft, he instantly became a hot prospect. By the middle of January, he was projected to be a top-five pick.

On March 27, 2014, Manziel chose to throw at Texas A&M's Pro Day instead of the NFL Combine. He completed 64 of 66 passes and his performance was deemed impressive by scouts.

However, as the draft approached, opinions began to sway regarding his draft stock. While he was considered undraftable by some, others viewed him as a rare talent. The major bone of contention was not Manziel's ability on the field. Rather, it was his personality.

“I don't like his antics," former NFL coach Barry Switzer said. "I think he's an arrogant little prick. I've said that and I'll say it again.”

On the day of the draft, Johnny Manziel was overlooked by the first five teams. He was also not in the top 10. It took a text from him to the quarterback coach of Cleveland, Dowell Loggains, for the Browns to consider him.

He wrote in the text that he wanted to “wreck the league” with Cleveland. Loggains showed the text to the head coach, Mike Pettine who then made the call to trade up to draft Manziel with the 22nd overall pick.

Johnny Manziel's short NFL career

Johnny Manziel did not “wreck” the league at Cleveland as he promised. The Browns let him go after the end of the 2015 season. Controversies during the 2016 offseason had him blacklisted by other NFL sides. He spent the next two years not playing football.

He made a return in 2018 in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. But it wasn't the return many hoped for. He was traded to the Alouettes before the season ended and became ineligible to play in the CFL because of a contract violation.