Mississippi Rebels
Is Eli Manning the nation’s top quarterback prospect? Our answer is
no, not yet, but he’s very close and it may just be a matter of playing time and
experience before he moves to the forefront of the
passers. The Manning name carries a lot of weight at the quarterback position,
and justifiably so. Eli is the next in line and all signs point to him being
more than capable of carrying the family mantle. Like brother Peyton, Eli is a
great technician and fundamentally sound in every aspect of throwing the ball.
His selling of either the play action or run action is masterful, the way he
looks off the safety makes opponents dizzy and Manning is a great leader, truly
in charge of the offense. The accuracy is right on as are the decisions he makes
from the pocket when things break down. Like Peyton the arm strength
is adequate, not superior or outstanding, and young Eli also displays the
ability to improvise like his older brother when things break down. The one
area we feel Peyton was way ahead of his little brother to this point is the
pinpoint placement of his passes, putting them in an area where only his
receivers had a chance to catch the ball. Peyton was also a little better
hitting receivers the moment they came out of their routes, though Eli has made
improvements in that area. But those are not knocks on Eli’s skills; Peyton
was forced into action as a freshman, splitting the starting duties whereas Eli’s
sophomore campaign of ’01 was his first real one behind center. For what its’
worth we think Eli will stay in college, return to Oxford for the 2003 season
and then become yet another Manning to be the first pick of the NFL Draft, this
time in April of ’04. Manning has several targets to throw too, all
pro-prospects in one form or another. Tight end Doug Zeigler, Manning’s
roommate, is a terrific football player with top-notch wherewithal and a feel
for what is happening on the field. His big, soft hands give Manning an enticing
target as he is always on the same page as his quarterback, consistently making
the difficult or important catch over the middle or out on the flanks and always
finding a way to get open. Zeigler
is also a solid technician as a blocker but does not stand out to us as an
explosive, overly athletic prospect rather a solid late day-one-draft selection
that will eventually grow into a starting tight end at the next level. Receiver Jason
Armstead has been a little inconsistent and needs to get more involved in
the action but displays game breaking skills as a big play receiver. On the
other hand junior wide out Chris Collins has size, reliability and is a
nice "go-to guy" in college. His ability to run a solid forty-time
will dictate whether or not he fits into the middle rounds in two years. The
Rebels have a pair of solid linemen; one familiar and the other overlooked. Ben
Claxton has been a reliable and durable center that effectively blocks for
the run or pass on the pivot. Strong, technically sound and smart, Claxton
really does a solid job in every aspect of his game. He is not a mobile or agile
lineman but then neither was LeCharles Bentley until the combine and like the
former OSU star if Claxton has a good senior campaign, performs well in the
post-season and stands out at the combine, he could move into the middle of the first day and
atop the charts at the center position. The lineman we like no one seems to
mention is left tackle Belton Johnson, a powerful blocker that controls
opponents at the line of scrimmage, driving them up the field on running plays
or anchoring in pass protection. Though he displays some ability to shuffle and
slide his feet Johnson is by no means a nimble lineman and may
ultimately be better off on the right side as he grows into his body or even
inside at guard. Regardless, he is a legitimate prospect.
The strength defense is almost literal as it comes in the form of linebacker Eddie
Strong, a 
productive and powerful defender that makes a lot of plays up the
field. Strong easily holds his ground against blocks, sometimes throwing
opponents aside to get to the action and plays with a vicious attitude. He makes
plays sideline-to-sideline and displays adequate range in pass defense but shows some hesitation to his game
when the ball is in the air (as much a result of the scheme as his
skills), an aspect he must iron out. He has the size and strength to play over
tight end and right now would be a first day pick but could move into the top
45-60 selections with good workouts prior to next April’s draft. Lanier
Goethrie is another hard working linebacker that flies around the football
but lacks the top size/speed numbers for the weak-side and may not be fast
enough to play strong safety. He could fit in as an inexpensive back-up for a
three-four defense and definitely has the mentality to be productive on special
teams.
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