Eli Manning hasn’t ventured in to get a peek at the Giants’ draft board and he admits he’s not intrusive when it comes to making suggestions, saying “I don’t get too involved with the process and giving my opinion, ‘Hey, draft this guy, draft that guy.’ “
He does have opinions, though, and he shared one of them Monday night with The Post. Acknowledging the talent drain with the losses in free agency of Mario Manningham and Brandon Jacobs and the serious injuries to tight ends Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum, Manning is thinking offensive skill player is a smart way to go early and often in this week’s NFL Draft.
“When we go into the draft, that could be an area we try to attack. Get a skill-position guy who can help us get carries, get catches, in some ways get that same production from the guys we lost last year,” Manning told The Post prior to his appearance at the Steiner Sports roundtable discussion at the TimesCenter, accompanied by teammate Victor Cruz.
One player who unquestionably fills Manning’s criteria is Stanford’s Coby Fleener, considered the top tight end in the draft and someone who could be sitting there when the Giants’ turn comes at No. 32. Manning nodded in agreement, as if he already knew, when he was told that Fleener has been likened to a taller, more athletic Dallas Clark, a player who turned into a prolific pass-catcher with the Colts, with help from Eli’s older brother, Peyton.
“Any time you can get a skilled player or a talented guy who can catch and make plays that’s always helpful,” Eli said of Fleener. “We lost two tight ends last year, we picked up Martellus Bennett from Dallas, a guy who’s been working hard, talked to him a bunch. He definitely is going to have to help us this year. But losing two tight ends, don’t know when they’re going to be back. We may need that tight end where Travis played some, can play in the slot, can move around and give you some different options.”
That certainly describes Fleener. Manning said he’s also heard plenty about Boise State running back Doug Martin. “Strong, little guy but powerful .¤.¤. I see that he catches the ball well,” Manning said. “Good player.”
Told that Martin has been compared to the Ravens’ Ray Rice, Manning said “That sounds good.”
Of course, Manning always is a supporter of the Giants going in another direction.
“As an offensive player I’ve always learned you can never go wrong drafting offensive lineman,” he said. “That’s how a quarterback thinks.”
These are rarified times for Manning. Now that he is a two-time Super Bowl MVP, Manning has signed 20 percent more items to keep up with the demand, and Steiner Sports pays him 10 percent more per signature. Sales of Eli Manning memorabilia since the start of last season are up 100 percent, with the top-selling items signed footballs ($600), signed Super Bowl MVP footballs ($800) and 8″x10″ Super Bowl photos going for $279.
Manning said “I got word from a few buddies around the neighborhood,” that new Jets quarterback Tim Tebow has rented an apartment in Hoboken, N.J., only two blocks away from the Manning residence.
“We’ll definitely welcome him to Hoboken,” Eli said, not concerned that his neighborhood is not big enough for the both of them.
“It’s a big little town,” Manning said, smiling.
paul.schwartz@nypost.com