Covitz:KC Star's projected Chiefs 1st rounder

[Wile_E_Coyote]

His given name is Emmanuel, and at 6 feet 5 3/8 and 241 pounds, Manny Lawson is one of the finest athletes ever at North Carolina State. In addition to terrorizing quarterbacks, he competed in four events for the track team — the long jump, triple jump, 55-meter dash and 55-meter hurdles.

But he was best at racing to the quarterback. Playing opposite defensive end Mario Williams, who will be the first player taken in today’s draft, Lawson was voted the Wolfpack’s most valuable player.
When asked at the NFL scouting combine who was the better end, Lawson laughed.

“Better end? Better looking is me hands down,” said Lawson, who impressed those at the combine with a 4.43 time in the 40-yard dash and a 39 1/2 -inch vertical leap. “We complemented each other. The ball runs away from me and goes to him, and vice versa. The vote could have gone either way.”

Last year, Lawson ranked 12th in the nation with 10 1/2 sacks (Williams was fourth with 14 1/2 ), and during his four-year career, Lawson had 20 1/2 sacks, 17 pass deflections, caused five fumbles, recovered four others and used his long reach to block seven kicks.
And he’s still learning.

“I’m always going to be learning,” said Lawson, who began his career as a linebacker and was shifted to end starting with the 2003 Tangerine Bowl against Kansas. “I feel like I have a variety and array of pass-rush moves that I can use. But I’ve only been playing defensive end for two years. I’m still new to the game.”