When Drew Brees sees Johnny Manziel, he can't help but think of Reggie Bush.
Like Manziel, Bush was the subject of tremendous hype upon entering the NFL after a wildly successful college career. Bush landed with the New Orleans Saints as the No. 2 overall pick in 2006, then struggled to match outsized expectations.
During a Tuesday appearance on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access," Brees -- nearly a first-round pick himself -- talked about the challenges facing Manziel and other high draft choices.
"It's kind of hard for a player in that situation because you're coming off of that success from college and all of the sudden you're thrown into the NFL in the spotlight," Brees said.
Brees believes Manziel is going to have a "strong chance to start" as a rookie with the Cleveland Browns, though he seems less than convinced that's a good idea.
"We've certainly seen guys get thrown into the fire and (they're) not quite ready," Brees said. "Listen, it takes a mentally tough person to kind of work through those struggles because you're going to have struggles. Everybody does at some point."
The Saints quarterback then chimed in on Manziel's traits.
"He seems like an ultra-confident person, one who is kind of ready for that type of spotlight, that type of attention," Brees said. "It's kind of been that way for the last two years with him. It's not anything he's not used to. I think the big thing is, hey, if you have your struggles like everybody does, how are you able to handle that?"
Brees didn't start a single game as a rookie with the San Diego Chargers in 2001, holding a clipboard while Doug Flutie took almost every snap. Rookie quarterbacks are handled differently in the present day, and Manziel stands a very good chance of being an immediate starter.
What comes next is anyone's guess.
You can watch the full interview with Drew Brees tonight at 8 p.m. ET on "NFL Total Access."
