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Manningham, Woodson choices add intrigue

By Ed Valentine

So, what did you guys think of the Giants' haul during Draft Weekend?

In case you haven't seen the list -- and if not, why haven't you? -- here is what the Giants did on Day 2 Sunday.

• 3rd round (95th overall) -- Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
• 4th round (123rd overall) -- Bryan Kehl, OLB, BYU
• 5th round (165th overall) -- Jonathan Goff, ILB, Vanderbilt
• 6th round (198th overall) -- Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky
• 6th round (199th overall) -- Robert Henderson, DE, Southern Mississippi

Added to the first-day selections of safety Kenny Phillips and cornerback Terrell Thomas that meant five of the seven picks were spent on defense. I love that, because that is where I thought the emphasis needed to be.

Yet, the two most intriguing picks are the offensive players.

Manningham is an explosive receiver with first-round talent, but off-the-field issues raised character concerns and caused his stock to drop.

He could be a star. Or, he could be a head-case and a total bust.

ESPN described the risk/reward with Manningham this way.

The Giants put themselves in position to hit a home run by taking Michigan receiver Mario Manningham in the third round. But they also can strike out with this pick.

There is no doubt that Manningham has first-round talent. He set a Michigan record with six consecutive 100-yard receiving games as a junior. Physically, he's one of the top receivers in the draft. Yet character concerns caused him to fall into the third round.

Coming off a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, the veteran-laden Giants might be the right team to get the most out of Manningham. Obviously, New York general manager Jerry Reese did enough homework to determine it was worth the risk.

If the Giants are correct, Manningham could be one of this year's biggest draft steals.

Considering all of the trouble the Giants have had adding big-play threats on the outside I can't blame Reese for rolling the dice with Manningham.

Take the Manningham poll at the end of this article. Click 'Entry Link' if you don't see it.

The Woodson choice was also an interesting one, and quite possibly spells doom for both of last year's backup QBs, Anthony Wright and Jared Lorenzen. With David Carr also added to the roster Eli Manning could have two new backups.

Woodson was apparently thought of as a guy who would be selected much earlier until a very poor Senior Bowl performance. The Giants seem thrilled to have found him sitting there for them late in the draft.

Coach Tom Coughlin, from Giants.com.

"This was just too good a pick for us to pass up," Coughlin said. "This is a guy that was rated highly on our board. We found ourselves in a position where we felt like he was a guy we wanted to bring in as a young quarterback who could work in our system and be a guy who we could develop as we went forward."

Reese, also from Giants.com.

"For years we have talked about bringing in a young quarterback and developing him in our system," Reese said. "Let him grow up here. This guy has got a strong skill set. We like a lot of things about him. He is very productive playing for Kentucky. He has a lot of production over his years there as a quarterback. He has the arm to make all of the throws. He is a pretty good athlete for that position. So there are a lot of positive things about him down there in the draft room. We are going to bring him along and see if he can challenge for some of our backup quarterback spots."

I am not going to try and grade this draft. There is no way to realistically do that until the players get on the field. As I said, though, I thought the emphasis was right.

I will have more on these guys in the next few days. For now, though, I am anxious to see what you guys have to say.

More On the Draft

• Tom Coughlin post-draft video
• Jerry Reese post-draft video
• Manningham doesn't think he's a risk. Ledger On Giants
• Undrafted players to watch for. ESPN
• The funniest draft story you will read anywhere. Deadspin
• This draft class has a lot to live up to. FOX Sports
• Reese's NFL.com interview

Poll

What do you think of the selection of talented, but troubled wide receiver Mario Manningham?

This poll is closed

  • 95%
    Worth the risk
    (40 votes)
  • 2%
    Not worth the risk
    (1 vote)
  • 2%
    Undecided
    (1 vote)
42 votes total Vote Now

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