When Archie Manning tucked the ball and scrambled, there was no telling what he would do. But there was nothing ad-lib about the end-run Manning pulled off this week.
It was perfectly designed, precisely executed and turned out to be the highlight play of yesterday’s NFL Draft.
The Giants scored big-time, getting themselves Eli Manning, the marquee player in this draft and a quarterback who’s genetically disposed to playing the position. If he’s 80 percent the leader father Archie was, and the quarterback brother Peyton is, the Giants have the cornerstone of their franchise.
The Chargers scored by trading Manning to the Giants for quarterback Philip Rivers, in addition to the Giants’ third-round pick this year, and their first and third picks in next year’s draft.
Eli Manning scored. Imagine the publicity and endorsements that go with being a star quarterback in New York. Not since Joe Namath has a New York team had such an attraction.
“Pressure, it’s something I’ve been around a long time, having a father and a brother who I’m following in their footsteps,” Eli Manning said. “I’ve dealt with it. I went to the same school [Mississippi] my father did. We played in the SEC where Peyton played six years before me [at Tennessee]. I’ve been around pressure a long time and I’m going to be prepared for next season.”
In a draft whose wide receiver class was favorably compared to the quarterback class of ’83, a cagey, old signal-caller shaped it. Archie Manning said earlier this week his son would not play for the Chargers and that the family favored the Giants.
“This is a bold move on the part of our family,” Archie Manning said earlier in the week. “But I am not bold enough to try to manipulate this draft. I would not do that.”
But that’s exactly what he did. Forget footsteps; Archie Manning’s footprint will forever be etched on this draft.
He spoke to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and met with Chargers owner Alex Spanos and coach Marty Schottenheimer earlier this week. None could convince him San Diego was a good fit for Eli.
“One of the other things we needed to talk about is, would it be awkward today if they picked Eli?” Archie Manning said yesterday. “Frankly, there were some options. One of them was for Eli not to even show up, not to even be here. But to me, that’s kind of embarrassing to the league and Eli didn’t want to do that.”
The Jets wanted to pick a cornerback but their hopes were dashed when DeAngelo Hall went eighth to the Falcons and Dunta Robinson went to the Texans two picks later. Without a premier corner, the Jets took the best linebacker in the draft, Miami’s Jonathan Vilma, and might be better off for it.
Little is certain in the draft, but Miami linebackers are close to a sure thing. If Vilma follows in the footsteps of former ‘Canes Jesse Armstead, Dan Morgan and Ray Lewis, the Jets have themselves a game-changing defender.
By the time the Jets had used the No. 12 pick on Vilma, three receivers – Larry Fitzgerald of Pittsburgh, Roy Williams of Texas and Reggie Williams of Washington – had been taken. The run on wideouts continued with the Bills taking Wisconsin’s Lee Evans at 13, followed by Tampa Bay replacing Keyshawn Johnson with LSU’s Michael Clayton with the 15th pick, the Falcons taking Mike Jenkins of Ohio State at 29, and the 49ers choosing Oklahoma State’s Rashaun Woods at 31.
When the Patriots used the 21st pick on Miami DT Vince Wilfolk it set a draft record. Miami (Fla.) had six players taken in the first round.
