How Johnny Manziel was almost drafted by the Chiefs, changing the course of history and his life

EXCLUSIVE: In an NFL play defined by the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty and endless Taylor Swift crossover, 1 large draught infinitesimal 10 years agone looms larger than ever. 

Johnny Manziel was the nation's biggest communicative going into the consequential 2014 NFL Draft. That night, connected May 8 successful New York City, Manziel showed up to Radio City Music Hall arsenic an anomaly successful the draught process. Experts fiercely debated whether 1 of the biggest stars successful assemblage shot past was adjacent physically and mentally susceptible of playing astatine the pro level astatine all. 

And 10 years later, the experts who stake against Manziel were right. A short-lived, inefficient vocation arsenic a backup compounded with addiction issues, bouts with slump and anxiety, and chronicles of off-the-field scandals marked Manziel's drafting arsenic 1 of the darkest black-hole decisions successful the league's history.  

But to his credit, helium was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. 

"I was excited whenever it happened connected draught night, but looking backmost now, there's times wherever I person a spot of a bitter sensation successful my rima possibly astir however my NFL vocation turned out," Manziel told Fox News Digital successful an exclusive interview. "The draught is thing that is retired of your control, it goes the mode it goes, you don't person a ton of accidental successful wherever you extremity up. Would it person been antithetic if I was determination else? Maybe. But that's not truly however it went."

And portion helium had nary accidental successful the matter, Manziel inactive remembers different possibilities. 

He remembers his cause Erik Burkhardt staying successful adjacent connection with the Kansas City Chiefs, and helium remembers believing that the Chiefs were going to beryllium his "floor" connected draught nighttime if helium fell heavy capable successful the archetypal round, which helium did. 

"We had been reached retired by the Chiefs [that] were a squad that was possibly going to beryllium my level and get with a feline similar Andy Reid, but extracurricular of that, the draught was conscionable benignant of a wait-and-see happening for me," Manziel said. "They had interaction with my cause and we benignant of had a feeling that that was going to beryllium my floor." 

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Johnny Manziel of the Texas A&M Aggies takes the signifier aft helium was picked by the Cleveland Browns during the archetypal circular of the NFL Draft astatine Radio City Music Hall connected May 8, 2014, successful New York City. (Elsa/Getty Images)

The Chiefs were coming disconnected the archetypal twelvemonth nether Reid's leadership. Reid had instantly transformed the Chiefs from a squad with the worst grounds successful the league to a squad that started 9-0 and reached the playoffs with a 30-year-old Alex Smith astatine quarterback.

The Chiefs held the 23rd prime connected draught nighttime that year. 

Manziel had fallen past the archetypal 21 spots aft draught critics voiced concerns that his accomplishment acceptable and quality would not person warranted a enactment successful the archetypal round. His size, limb spot and maturity were deemed reddish flags. Still, his endowment was undeniable to anyone who watched him play astatine the assemblage level. Manziel's quality to improvise and make large plays nether unit reflected the benignant of instincts that "can't beryllium taught," often said by scouts. It was a akin unsocial endowment to the 1 Chiefs fans person seen from Patrick Mahomes for the past 7 years. 

But earlier Reid and erstwhile Chiefs wide manager John Dorsey adjacent had the enactment to instrumentality Manziel, the Browns made a last-minute trade. The Browns hopped 1 prime up of Kansas City. They made a woody with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 22nd pick, jumping 4 picks up from 26 and giving up a third-rounder to debar risking losing retired connected Manziel, conscionable arsenic the Chiefs were astir to pick. 

Manziel may person been Reid's archetypal backmost prime arsenic the Chiefs caput manager and whitethorn person fixed him a caput commencement connected uncovering a successor to Smith. At that time, Smith was viewed arsenic a susceptible seasoned who could assistance the Chiefs compete, but not a semipermanent franchise star. 

Manziel whitethorn person stepped into a akin concern that Patrick Mahomes had stepped into successful 2017, but 3 years earlier. 

But instead, Manziel went to Cleveland, joining a bittersweet nine of different imaginable stars who saw their careers dice connected the banks of Lake Eerie. Brady Quinn, Tim Couch and much recently, Deshawn Watson, each laic alongside Manziel successful the Browns' infamous backmost vocation graveyard. 

"It's hard for maine to look backmost connected my NFL vocation present and accidental it could person been overmuch worse," Manziel said. "I deliberation being determination and being successful a concern wherever I was a backup and learning from a feline similar Alex Smith and Andy Reid, it could person lone been positive." 

JOHNNY MANZIEL ON HOW ADDICTION ISSUES GOT WORSE AFTER BROWNS DRAFTED HIM: ‘I LEARNED WHAT DEPRESSION WAS’

Kansas City Chiefs caput manager Andy (Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)

Manziel added that helium had ne'er been to Kansas City earlier successful his life. In contrast, helium said that getting drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, who played adjacent to wherever helium grew up successful Texas, would person enactment him successful the worst concern imaginable due to the fact that of however acquainted helium was with the country and the radical successful that could person pulled him into much mediocre decisions. But helium had nary specified cognition of the activities successful Missouri. 

If the Chiefs had taken Manziel, his default declaration would person tally astatine slightest done the 2017 play – Mahomes' rookie twelvemonth – with an enactment for a 5th twelvemonth connected the 2018 season. Meanwhile, a fewer months aft the 2014 draft, Smith went connected to motion a four-year $68 cardinal declaration hold with the Chiefs to enactment successful Kansas City done 2018. 

Had the Chiefs drafted Manziel, Smith, Mahomes and their seamless handover of the starting occupation that propelled the Chiefs to a dynasty whitethorn person ne'er happened.

But adjacent if the Browns didn't marque the commercialized to instrumentality Manziel up the Chiefs, determination was different anticipation that whitethorn person landed him successful Kansas City the pursuing year, if Reid truly wanted him. 

Manziel said helium has besides thought astir a beingness successful which helium didn't state for the draught successful 2014. After 2 Heisman-worthy assemblage seasons successful 2012 and 2013, Texas A&M fans prayed Manziel would enactment successful assemblage for astatine slightest 1 much year. 

Now helium thinks that staying 1 much twelvemonth whitethorn person been a amended people of action. 

In an NFL play defined by the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty and endless Taylor Swift crossover, 1 large draught determination 10 years agone looms larger than ever. (Getty Images)

"Maybe I could person gotten a small much prepared shot omniscient for what was coming successful the NFL," Manziel said. "I inactive beryllium backmost astatine times reasoning astir having 2 years of eligibility and possibly I could person stayed, possibly I did permission a small spot early." 

Manziel added that helium would person wanted to assistance the Aggies vie for a nationalist title if helium stayed different year. 

The Chiefs would person had an adjacent amended accidental to draught Manziel the pursuing outpouring if helium didn't state until 2015. After missing the playoffs successful 2014, the Chiefs ended up with the 18th prime successful the draught that year. 

Tight extremity Travis Kelce was already successful Kansas City astatine that point. He had already helped spearhead the turnaround arsenic 1 of Reid's archetypal Chiefs draught picks successful 2013. But adjacent then, adjacent if Manziel had the privilege of passing to Kelce, connected a squad with a beardown roster, a Hall of Fame caput manager and a metropolis and squad civilization that's done thing but output winning and prosperous lives for players implicit the past decade, Manziel can't accidental for definite helium wouldn't person spiraled into the aforesaid habits that tanked his NFL vocation successful Cleveland, adjacent with different twelvemonth successful college.

"I don't cognize if there's thing successful that constituent successful clip oregon if different twelvemonth would person helped maine hole for wherever I was successful my beingness astatine that point," Manziel said. 

"I inactive deliberation determination would person been a immense learning curve, a immense spread for me. At the extremity of the day, I was successful a large presumption to spell and person a longer NFL vocation than I did, and it conscionable came down to maine and myself. I don't enactment a batch of blasted connected anybody other but myself for things not moving out."

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Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Kelce and Chiefs fans volition ne'er person to cognize however things would person gone if the squad took Manziel oregon 2014 oregon 2015. Kelce bloomed into a perennial Pro Bowler playing with Smith, past Mahomes elevated him to a multiple-time Super Bowl champion and 1 of the biggest superstars successful the sport. And of course, Taylor Swift came on not excessively acold aft that. 

Would Kelce person go the prima walk catcher worthy of wooing Swift had the Chiefs made Manziel their quarterback? The satellite volition ne'er know. 

But that didn't hap and present each NFL fans are bracing for the anticipation of seeing the Chiefs marque a tally to a 3rd consecutive Super Bowl, portion shots of Swift and Mahomes' wife, Brittany, interrupt countless minutes of NFL playoff broadcasts.

"The champion squad is going to triumph it each year, and if that happens to beryllium the Chiefs, past possibly [the different fans] volition conscionable person to support hating connected them," Manziel said. 

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