Making the radio rounds the last few weeks, two of the questions I get asked most frequently are 1) Whose stock is dropping the most heading into the draft? 2) Who’s the most underrated prospect out there?

My answer is the same for both: Michigan WR Mario Manningham. In Ann Arbor, Manningham personified greatness. He was the receiver no corner wanted to face, a silky smooth route runner adept at getting behind the secondary. He’s a receiver who put together the second most productive season in Wolverine history in 2007, quite an achievement considering all the outstanding pass catchers that have donned the maize and blue.

After his junior campaign, Manningham wisely made the decision to forego his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. It’s hard to fault the guy, seeing as he was regarded as the surest thing in a receiver class bereft of a slam-dunk top prospects.

But since he tossed his name into the ring, Manningham’s stock has tumbled worse than George Bush’s approval rating. The first red flag was raised at the Combine, when Manningham clocked in the mid 4.6 range in the 40, a plodding time for a top receiver. Then, on April 8, PFW reported that Manningham twice tested positive for marijuana when in college. Not only did he test positive, but denied it when meeting with NFL team officials, and only later sent out a letter to the clubs acknowledging he wasn’t straight forward in the interview process. As PFW reported, he has been taken completely off multiple teams’ boards, and it’s only logical to assume he has been downgraded on others.

Once a lock for the middle of the first round, Mannigham now is likely a mid-second round selection. And all I can think is that whomever picks him up in the second round is going to be getting the single biggest steal in the draft.

Considering Manningham worked out considerably better at his Pro Day than he did at the Combine, the marijuana indiscretion is the far more significant issue regarding his plummeting. He’s been labeled with the dreaded “character concern,” a scarlet letter a draft boards.

Look, I understand the concerns with him. Marijuana is a banned substance in the league, and multiple positive tests results in suspension. More significant in terms of his dropping is the fact that he lied about his violations. Team officials figure, “If he lied about this, how can he be trusted in other situations?”

First things first. Out of all the players who have smoked the herb in the NFL, how many have let it screw up their careers? Outside of Ricky Williams, has there been any? Remember, a first positive test for marijuana doesn’t result in suspension, like a violation of the steroid and related substance policy does. I realize that the fact that I personally think it’s crazy the NFL bans marijuana is irrelevant, but ask yourself, is smoking pot really an indictment of your personal character?

About the dishonesty part. Should Manningham have been forthright about his history when asked about it at the Combine? Yeah, he should’ve. But give the kid a break. He was embarrassed about it, knew that answering affirmatively would affect his stock, and he panicked. At the end of the day — or, on Draft Day — what teams should be focusing on is the fact that Manningham was one of the most dominating receivers on the college gridiron over the past two years, not that he made a poor decision to lie about an issue that has little to do with his ability to succeed in the NFL.

It seems to me like NFL clubs are making a mountain out of few potent buds of grass.