Johnny Manziel

Who will be the first quarterback drafted? Teddy Bridgewater or Johnny Manziel?(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

(AP)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On the eve of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock believes all three of the top quarterbacks in the draft -- Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles -- could play for the Browns, but has reservations about Manziel, and thinks Bridgewater is more NFL-ready.

"The reason I think (Bridgewater's) the 'most ready to play in an NFL-style offense is he was under center, he was in pistol, he was in shotgun. (Louisville) threw the ball short, intermediate and deep,'' said Mayock on a conference call. "He understands 3-step, 5-step. He reads more than just half a field. So you can put the tape on and watch him do things and say, yeah, that translates to the next level.

"He's not as much a wild card as Manziel, and I think he’s more developed in his reads and throws than Bortles. That’s why I say I think he’s the most ready to play. Whether or not he’s going to be there (for the Browns at No. 4), that depends what Houston and Jacksonville do.''

Mayock raved about the playmaking Johnny Football, but also expressed serious concerns about him getting frustrated in the pocket.

"The first tape I put in was Alabama, and I put the tape down about two hours later and said 'Wow! That was awesome.' It was really fun to watch. He makes throws, he allows other players to make plays, he gives (receiver) Mike Evans a chance to make plays, he extends plays. He was like a combination of Fran Tarkenton and Doug Flutie.

"I really enjoyed it and there were two or three more tapes like that. As I kind of worked my way through because I wanted a minimum of five for each of the quality quarterbacks before the Combine, I eventually got to the LSU and Missouri tapes, neither of which were really good tapes. And both of which the common denominator for me was I felt like he got frustrated in the pocket.

"I felt like LSU and Missouri did a great job with controlling the rush and keeping him in the pocket and the more he was in the pocket, the more frustrated he got. He started to lose his accuracy. He started trying to escape the pocket way before he needed to, and I feel like he doesn't like being confined. He likes those open spaces, and we have to evaluate him a little differently because of that.

"…NFL teams are going to clue into that very quickly. But having said all of that, I do believe he's got the arm strength, the athletic ability, the passion for the game. At the end of the day, he's different than any quarterback I've done before. He's different than (Robert Griffin III), different than Cam Newton, he's different than Andrew Luck and he's different than Russell Wilson. But I believe in the kid. I think he's going to be a top-10 if not a top-5 pick. But you're going to have to live with some of the negative plays in addition to the positive ones.''

In fact, the more tape Mayock watches of his top three, the more questions he has.

"I don't want to overanalyze these guys because there's a danger in that also,'' he said. "But I can pick apart all three of them. I could not pick apart Andrew Luck. So obviously Manziel is a different kind of evaluation, and you've got to buy in and embrace what he does. I love the kid. I love watching him. I think you're going to have to teach him, and I think he's going to have to be open to listening and learning. But. …your team is going to have to change how they play and embrace his style. Bridgewater and Bortles I think can both be good quarterbacks, but I'm not ready to say either of those are all-pro quarterbacks.''

Actually, Mayock seemed intrigued by the Browns taking stud receiver Sammy Watkins of Clemson at No. 4 and then Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr at No. 26. The Browns also have the No. 35 overall pick.

"Watkins would be awesome there,'' he said. "I think they can get a running back in a bunch of different places, given the number of picks the Browns have this year. [Watkins], if they took him at four, I'm all-in on that kid. He can really play. And regarding the quarterbacks, yeah, I think Carr would be an interesting guy at 26. I didn't love his USC tape in the bowl game at all, but I do believe he's got the arm strength and athletic ability to be a starter in the NFL. I don't think he's a Pro Bowl-type starter, but I think he's a competent starter. The question you've got to answer yourself is at 26, are you getting a significant improvement over what you think Brian Hoyer is, because if you're not, you need to move on and get another positional player.''

Mayock couldn't say enough about Watkins, who told The State newspaper Tuesday that he'll "dominate'' the Combine because of his blazing 4.27 speed and other off-the-charts measurables.

"Watkins is a special player,'' said Mayock. "I usually don’t get too excited about wide receivers in the top 10, but this kid is different. He’s physically explosive, he’s got great hands, he’s got good size, he’s got very good speed. And what I really, really like about this kid is he’s got some toughness. He’ll go over the middle, he’ll physically beat press coverage, he high-points the ball, he’s got a little attitude about him, he blocks people. You can see him getting (ticked) off during games and going after corners and safeties and linebackers. So he’s got an attitude like he wants to be the best player there is. When you combine that with his physical ability, I think it’s awesome.

As for Bortles, who announced Tuesday via his twitter account that he'll throw at the Combine, Mayock thinks he's the least developed of his top three.

"Bortles is kind of a bigger, stronger guy,'' said Mayock. "People think he's got the biggest arm. I'm not sure if he does or not. I want to see him live. …I think Manziel's got that 'it' factor where I don't think it matter if it's Cleveland, Seattle, Dallas, warm weather, cold weather, whatever, I think he's just going to be who he is. I understand what (Browns offensive coordinator Kyle) Shanahan's offense is, and I understand what you're asking me, but I think all three of them could fit depending on what they feel about each individual kid.''

Mayock's top five quarterbacks stack up like this: 1. Bridgewater 2. Texas A&M's Manziel 3. Central Florida's Bortles 4. Carr and 5. Alabama's A.J. McCarron.

"There’s some interesting wild cards this year at quarterback also,'' said Mayock. "A.J. McCarron is solid, but he’s a second- or third-round quarterback. I think Carr will fit into the end of the first round. Jimmy Garoppolo has really helped himself at East-West and Senior Bowl. Then there are two kids who got hurt late in the year, Zach Mettenberger from LSU and Aaron Murray from Georgia who I think depending on how their rehab goes, could be third- or fourth-round guys that are developmental players.''

Overall, Mayock called this "the deepest and best draft I've seen in probably 10 years. I had one GM tell me the other day that having a top 20 pick this year is very similar to having a top 10 pick last year''

For that reason, he said, the Texans, who own the No. 1 pick, can afford to trade back a little farther if they so choose. The Browns, if they like a quarterback enough, might be willing to package their two first-round picks to get him.

"First of all, if there's a quarterback that (the Texans) fall in love with and they say, 'He's our guy for the next 10 years,' you don't even think about trading down,'' he said. "You pull the trigger and you go to work with him and he's the face of your franchise. I don't think there's any doubt about that.

"Now if you're sitting at 1 in this draft and you've got questions because none of these guys are Andrew Luck, none of these guys are Peyton Manning, none of these guys [make you say], 'It's a slam dunk. This is an easy one' ….. They've got an awful lot of options, but the whole thing is triggered by whether or not you think there's a franchise quarterback and if it's what you want to do.''