Ask around and you'll quickly learn that when discussing the topic of Johnny Football the answers you'll find while not limited in responses or opinions,  are usually on two very opposite ends of the spectrum.  That's because when dissecting one of the most prolific and  polarizing college football figures both on and off the field as a possible NFL prospect, it seems fans have a love 'em or hate 'em stance on the topic.  Johnny will turn water into wine and dust into gold on the football field and then later that night make Lindsay Lohan look like a Catholic nun off the field.  Which begs the question, as the 2014 draft crawls towards us one day at a time, is Johnny Manziel worth a top-10 pick?

Manziel most recently put on one of the best performances of his young career at Texas A&M bringing his team back from a 38-17 deficit against the Duke Blue Devils to a 52-48 comeback win in the Chick-fil-a Bowl.  Johnny had five touchdowns in all including four passing with 382 yards through the air while leading his team in rushing with 73 yards.  Proving again that when the stage is biggest, Johnny will be front and center.      

Johnny thrives when the spotlight is at it's brightest and shining directly on him.  As a freshman last year he walked on the scene at Texas A&M behind two others on the depth chart heading into the spring practices, but by the time it was all said and done Johnny proved to coaches he was the right man for the job and no one ever looked back.  He threw for over 3,700 yards while completing just under 70% of his passes while scorching opposing teams by ripping off huge gains with his feet time and time again, perhaps none more impressive than against SEC juggernaut Alabama.   All that added up to Johnny becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman in FBS history starting his career off like no one before him.  

He followed that act up this year by throwing for 4,114 yards 37 touchdowns and again completing 69.9 percent of his passes becoming a model of consistency.  But, it doesn't do any justice trying to express how much of a unique talent Johnny is on paper using only numbers and black and white ink.  What makes Johnny so special is his ability to do things in the pocket that to be frank have never been done before.  Similar to a new magician that bursts on to the scene taking his predecessor's old tricks to the next level with bigger stunts and more dangerous feats, leaving the crowd with "ooohs" and ahhhs" time and time again.  If Virgina Tech's Michael Vick was David Blaine then Johnny Manziel is Chris Angel.

But how will his game translate to the NFL?  There's no such thing as a "sure thing"  when drafting a 21 year old show boat, and giving him more money than Richie Rich.

While there will be prospects that head into the draft with more zip on the ball there's no doubt Johnny has the arm strength to make all the throws at the next level.  One of his best throws he consistently makes is finding the soft spot against "cover two" defense between the cornerback and the safety on the sideline.  Johnny has made that throw repeatedly with anticipation and timing.  Johnny proved to the nay sayers that he could sit in the pocket, read his defense, and throw the ball with accuracy this year after some scouts pegged him as a run-first quarterback.  

Although he's shown he can certainly spin the ball off his hand nicely, can you really blame him for wanting to run?  Manziel was for the second year in a row one of the most exciting players to watch when the ball was in his hands.  With speed, stop and go acceleration, agility, and video game style elusiveness, Johnny is a highlight reel out side the pocket. 

With 2,169 yards and 30 touchdowns on the ground in just two years, Manziel's biggest weapon is his rushing ability, and in new era of run-option schemes and play books in the NFL one can assume there are teams drooling over his potential at the next level. 

 No question for me when he translates his game from Saturdays to Sundays, your going to see a top tier quarterback and a rookie that translates to the NFL smoothly.  With all the tools in place to succeed in the NFL on the field there is only one reason Johnny could potentially fall out of the top-10 come draft day, and thats because of what he does off the field. 

 I'm no psychologist and never have claimed to be, but I have to be skeptical about what will be going through Manziel's mind on Wednesday through Saturday.  Will he be dedicated to his work, the film room, and practice like he is for the 60 minutes on Sundays?  Or will he be making reservations to the newest night club, sexting girls, and counting his "stacks" as the kids like to say.  It's a huge question and topic that will curse Johnny throughout the draft process like a plague as General Mangers and scouts of all different shapes and sizes will ask the same series of questions as they try to decipher if Johnny is truly worth investing their first round pick on. 

Manziels' draft stock will ultimately come down to how he interviews with teams and how they feel about his work ethic, but most importantly how they find he spends his time off the field.  In a league possessed by one position, the quarterback is the engine in a franchise's vehicle and teams will stop at nothing to have the best one around.  

History shows us this with teams "reaching" for what they hope will be their franchise quarterback for years to come as for them the risk is worth the reward.  In 2010 the Denver Broncos used a first round pick on Tim Tebow even though the majority of scouts said he would never translate to the NFL as a quarterback, but for them the potential of Tebow was worth the risk. 

The trend increased exponentially the following year when guys like Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, and Christian Ponder were all drafted within the first 12 picks of the 2011 NFL draft while many had them graded well below the slot they were taking. 

Again, a chance to nab a franchise signal caller was too good to pass up.  Last year Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin were no brainers to be selected with the first two picks, but Ryan Tannehill (8th) and Brandon Weeden (22nd) watched their stock soar during the days leading up to the draft as teams needy of a signal caller mindlessly hunted their quarterback craving down like a zombie in its search for human flesh.  

Some of those picks lead teams to the jackpot, while the rest are still undecided but trending towards the "bust" label.  However, you can't blame those teams for trying. 

With a top-tier signal caller any team has a shot to win on any given sunday no matter his surrounding talent, proving the quarterback position trumps every other position around.  The current draft order has at least six teams hungry for a quarterback specifically the Texans, Jaguars, Browns, Raiders, and Vikings. 

So when it comes to Johnny Manziels' potential in an NFL uniform combined with the desperation of many teams' need for a franchise quarterback, there is no doubt there will be at least one team that pulls the trigger on this gun-slinger with one of the first ten picks.  Proving no matter the outcome of his NFL career,  Johnny's risk is worth his reward.