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Michigan WR Mario Manningham (official thread)

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espn.com

Manningham skipping senior season at Michigan to enter NFL draft

Associated Press

Updated: January 14, 2008, 4:53 PM ET

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Mario Manningham will skip his senior season at Michigan to enter the NFL draft.
"It was a hard decision, but after discussing it with my family it was the right one for me to make right now," Manningham said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press while driving home to Ohio. "I've heard I will be drafted in the first round because of the lack of depth at wide receiver."
Manningham said he will work out in Cleveland while preparing for the April draft.
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BuckeyeNation27;1065785; said:
I'm expecting to see a surprised Mario Manningham at the end of Round 1.
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Maybe. It's an incredibly weak receiver class. I'm not just saying that because I like Michigan and Manningham. DeSean Jackson is a good return man but averaged a paltry 11.7 ypc this season, not exactly elite. Early Doucet couldn't even average 10 ypc. Manningham averaged 18+ ypc and has elite speed and deep ball tracking. Of course ypc isn't the only measure for a wideout, but I'm just saying. Of course, he has his faults (blocking, focus, short routes etc..) but some team may fall in love with his deep ball ability toward the end of round 1, especially if he times well at the Combine.
 
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BuckeyeNation27;1065785; said:
I'm expecting to see a surprised Mario Manningham at the end of Round 1.
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Undoubtedly.

He can talk about the "lack of depth" at WR all he wants, but the pros aren't college. There are already boatloads of guys in the pros who are a lot like him, with fabulous physical tools but crummy hands and who run lousy routes.

He's not a physical freak either, like that QB from Arkansas who Jacksonville grabbed a couple of years back, that would tempt somebody into making a huge reach based solely on upside. The last decade or so, WR has also become one of the most wildly inconsistent pulls in the draft. There have been guys taken a mile up who never did diddly for their team.

If I was an NFL GM, I'd almost rather grab WR's from the 2nd or 3rd round on down.
 
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Maybe. It's an incredibly weak receiver class.
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True, but that was true when Holmes went pro, and he was the only 1st rounder, and an extremely late one.

Personally, I think Mario's amount of red flags should keep him out of the first (whether it will is another story). Work ethic, off-field issues (esp w/ commish Goodell), route running, hands, toughness (over middle), strength (beating jams), taking plays off, etc.

He's a great deep speed WR (not so much jump ball) & has a sick double move, but most speed guys can fall back on return ability. I don't think he brings great NFL potential there, however.

Maybe the NFL will surprise us and sneak him into the end of the first, for a desperate team like Jacksonville. I think he's better suited around 45-50.
 
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JonathanXC;1065816; said:
please explain
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Yeah, I gotta agree. Moss showed miles above what Manningham ever has at the college level.

It's one thing to take plays off but still have tons of stat and highlight reel fodder. It's another thing to take plays off and your whole career come across as sketchy. Manningham is definitely the latter in that comparison.
 
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