Fantasy Impact: Buffalo Bills select E.J. Manuel

The Buffalo Bills select E.J. Manuel with the 16th overall pick. Manuel came into the draft as one of the more interesting quarterback prospects this season in a cloudy quarterback class. At 6’5” 237 pounds, Manuel has the size that teams want in their quarterback. Add on the strong arm and the mobility to run option offenses that are becoming more prevalent in the league, and he seems to have all the physical tools that you could want from your signal caller.

While other quarterbacks showed their flaws during the Senior Bowl, Manuel flourished and was even named the game’s Most Outstanding Player. While Manuel has all the tools to take off and run, he’s still a good passing quarterback who’s always looking downfield even when he does take off. His speed allows him to move around the pocket and escape when it collapses, allowing him to still make things happen out of broken plays.

Like almost every college quarterback, Manuel will need to continue developing his skill at cycling through his reads to be effective at the next level. There are also instances where he couldn’t anticipate receivers and defensive coverage on throws, and will have to learn how to throw his receivers open and make tight throws to receivers being covered in zone defenses. It’s going to take time for him to develop these skills, and he’s probably not a quarterback you would want under center on Week 1.

While he’s still relatively raw, there’s no doubt that given the right tutelage and put into the right system, Manuel can be as successful as any quarterback in this year’s draft class. The versatility as both a passer and runner are what made him a coveted commodity in this year’s draft, and much like  most mobile quarterbacks to come out of college recently, Manuel isn’t a running quarterback but is a pass-first quarterback who has the ability to take off at any time.

College statistics courtesy of Sports Reference.

Fantasy Impact: The Bills were in need of a quarterback, and surprised everyone by making E.J. Manuel the first quarterback taken in this year’s draft. With Kevin Kolb in town, Manuel should be forced to hold the clipboard in his first year while he grows and learns the NFL game. While unlikely, Kolb is only guaranteed $1 million, and if Manuel does prove to have a good camp it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility that he does take over at some point this year. Expect a situation similar to Colin Kaepernick’s in San Francisco, making Manuel a quarterback to keep an eye on in training camp, and a must stash in most keeper leagues.