Former Super Bowl champ drops bold Arch Manning prediction after ‘drastic improvement’ claim

NFL scouts are buzzing over Arch Manning’s late-2025 game film. And this sounds quite surprising, given that he only has 13 career starts. Just to recap, he started just two games as a backup in 2024 and 11 games in 2025 with the Texas Longhorns.

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That lack of a deep college resume is exactly why an analyst with a serious quarterback resume just stepped in to defend Manning’s draft stock.

Chase Daniel, a 14-year NFL quarterback and Super Bowl XLIV champion with the New Orleans Saints, joined ESPN in 2025 as a college football and NFL analyst. On Wednesday night, he went public with a bold take on Manning’s trajectory and he didn’t hold back.

@theqbschool called out Manning’s polished mechanics, legitimate athleticism, and «AAAA Sunday throws» on X, penning, “The quality of his late 25 film vs what I remember from 24 and early 25 is wild af. Impressive improvement (and I love improvement). lots of AAAA on Sunday throws. legit athleticism. polished and strong footwork, base, and pocket movement. 2nd level touch.”

However, the films were not perfect. It showed occasional misses, flat deep balls, and errors on several throws, but they were good films. 

Responding to the viral film breakdown, Daniel claimed that Manning’s late-2025 tape was the most exciting thing he’d seen from the Texas quarterback. «The drastic improvement is what fires me up the most for Arch,» Daniel wrote. «This is going to be a huge year for him & @TexasFootball.»

The drastic improvement is what fires me up the most for Arch… This is going to be a huge year for him & @TexasFootball.

People want to point to the Ohio State game & say he shouldn’t be the #1 pick just because of that game. @SECNetwork https://t.co/w3Rz9Cg1W5

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— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) May 21, 2026

Daniel then threw those critics under the bus who still call out the Longhorns’ signal-caller’s Week 1 struggles. «People want to point to the Ohio State game and say he shouldn’t be the #1 pick just because of that game,» he wrote.

Manning threw for just 170 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a season-opening loss to Ohio State. He threw five interceptions over the first five games as Texas started 3-2, leading some to label him a disappointment. 

However, Manning responded with 12 touchdown passes and just two interceptions over the final six regular-season games. He finished the year with 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, posting a 78.0 QBR across 13 games.

NFL talent evaluators value that kind of growth arc heading into a quarterback’s junior season. ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller noted that Manning has the arm velocity to layer deep passes over coverage, combined with the agility to run effectively. 

He currently ranks Manning as his top prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft. The betting market reflects this, listing Manning as the favorite to go first overall at +175 odds on BetMGM. If he carries his late-season momentum into the fall, he will likely secure the top selection.

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