NFL Draft Preview: Mario Manningham

Michigan is losing a star player as Mario Manningham leaves college. But, the NFL is gaining a great athlete. He had a great year as a freshman when he caught 38 balls for 703 yards and 9 touchdowns in only 10 games, reports rivals.com. He showed consistency last year with 72 passes for 1,174 yards. He also showed his knack to reach the end zone with 12 TD's as a senior. Manningham is known for his big play ability. He has a knack for adjusting to balls off target and making the catch. Manningham is tremendous athlete and will be and equally difficult receiver to defend against.

Strengths: He is very athletic. He has the ability to adjust in mid air to the football. He controls his body so well. That may be his greatest advantage over the other receivers in the draft. He is quick and accelerates very well. He can hit top speed in a short amount of time. Manningham may be able to leave some corners behind him with his speed. He also would be a nice complement to an inaccurate quarterback.

Weaknesses: Manningham is only an average receiver by size. Against bigger corners at the next level he may have trouble matching their physicalness. He needs to get stronger to be able to match up with them. He may also have trouble taking hits when he comes across over the middle. If that is a problem then his ability to adjust may be wasted by him dropping balls when he can't handle the hits.

Where he could fall: Manningham could land anywhere in the first round. One team that could grab him is Chicago at the 14th spot in the hope of replacing free agent Bernard Berrian. Manningham with his nice hands would also help Grossman or a new quarterback. After that other teams looking for a receiver our Dallas and San Francisco at the 28th and 29th spot, respectively. Dallas needs a fresh pair of legs. Manningham could come to take Terry Glenn's job. The last team may be Tennessee. Although, the Titans need a larger receiver. Vince Young could use Manningham's catching abilities.