Advertisement

Johnny Manziel's long night at the NFL Draft

Yahoo Sports
  • Johnny Manziel, from Texas A&M, walks onstage after being selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
    1/6

    Johnny Manziel, from Texas A&M, walks onstage after being selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

    Johnny Manziel, from Texas A&M, walks onstage after being selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
  • Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine, left, helps cornerback Justin Gilbert display his jersey and general manager Ray Farmer, right, assists quarterback Johnny Manziel during a news conference at the NFL football team's facility in Berea, Ohio Friday, May 9, 2014. The Browns selected Gilbert with the eighth pick and Manziel with the 22nd pick in Thursday night's draft. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
    2/6

    Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine, left, helps cornerback Justin Gilbert display his jersey and general manager Ray Farmer, right, assists quarterback Johnny Manziel during a news conference at the NFL football team's facility in Berea, Ohio Friday, May 9, 2014. The Browns selected Gilbert with the eighth pick and Manziel with the 22nd pick in Thursday night's draft. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

    Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine, left, helps cornerback Justin Gilbert display his jersey and general manager Ray Farmer, right, assists quarterback Johnny Manziel during a news conference at the NFL football team's facility in Berea, Ohio Friday, May 9, 2014. The Browns selected Gilbert with the eighth pick and Manziel with the 22nd pick in Thursday night's draft. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
  • Johnny Manziel is seen leaving the stage after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
    3/6

    Johnny Manziel is seen leaving the stage after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)

    Johnny Manziel is seen leaving the stage after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
  • Johnny Manziel is interviewed by Suzy Kolber after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
    4/6

    Johnny Manziel is interviewed by Suzy Kolber after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)

    Johnny Manziel is interviewed by Suzy Kolber after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
  • Johnny Manziel hugs NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
    5/6

    Johnny Manziel hugs NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)

    Johnny Manziel hugs NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
  • Johnny Manziel, from Texas A&M, reacts after being selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
    6/6

    Johnny Manziel, from Texas A&M, reacts after being selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

    Johnny Manziel, from Texas A&M, reacts after being selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Johnny Manziel, from Texas A&M, walks onstage after being selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine, left, helps cornerback Justin Gilbert display his jersey and general manager Ray Farmer, right, assists quarterback Johnny Manziel during a news conference at the NFL football team's facility in Berea, Ohio Friday, May 9, 2014. The Browns selected Gilbert with the eighth pick and Manziel with the 22nd pick in Thursday night's draft. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
Johnny Manziel is seen leaving the stage after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Johnny Manziel is interviewed by Suzy Kolber after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Johnny Manziel hugs NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Cleveland Browns at the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 in New York, NY. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Johnny Manziel, from Texas A&M, reacts after being selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

It's rare a team completely skips your pro day, passes over you twice in the first eight picks of the NFL draft, and then swoops in to save you from a free fall. But Johnny Manziel likely won't hold any grudges against the Cleveland Browns.

The team that had one of the most erratic pursuits of Manziel will now count on him breathing new life into the franchise. How crazy was the journey to this draft pick? Consider back in January, word began to circulate that then-Browns general manager Mike Lombardi liked Manziel so much, he'd consider trading up to No. 1 just to get the Texas A&M star. One month later, Lombardi was fired and everything seemingly went out the window.
— Charles Robinson