Earlier this week, it was announced that former New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi would be among a trio of new inductees into the team’s Ring of Honor.

Accorsi, who was the Giants’ GM from 1998-2007, will join former head coach Tom Coughlin and retired defensive end Justin Tuck as the newest enshrinees.

“When you start working in the National Football League, this is not something you would ever dream could happen,” Accorsi told Giants.com after being informed of the honor. “I’ve seen these in different stadiums, and when you see all the great players and coaches up there, it’s not something I ever thought could happen. I can’t even put into words what an honor it is, especially with this franchise. It’s overwhelming that someone who started at the bottom in this league could end up with some of the names up there, like Lawrence Taylor and Frank Gifford. It’s just incredible for me to get this.”

When thinking back on Accorsi’s successful tenure with the team, one thing stands out above all the rest: his daring trade to acquire Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning from the San Diego Chargers during the 2004 NFL Draft.

That draft-day trade ultimately reshaped Big Blue’s future as Manning went on to win two Super Bowl championships (2007, 2011) with more possible in the future.

As part of the celebration for Accorsi’s much-deserved enshrinement, the Giants have re-released his initial scouting report on Manning. And for any true NFL fan, it’s certainly worth reading.

Accorsi knew from the onset Manning was something special.

His offensive line is poor. Red-shirt freshman left tackle. Eli doesn’t trust his protection. Can’t. No way he can take any form of a deep drop and look downfield. With no running game (10 yards rushing the first half) and no real top receivers, he’s stuck with the three-step drops and waiting til the last second to see if a receiver can get free. No tight end either. No flaring back. So he’s taking some big hits. Taking them well. Carried an overmatched team entirely on his shoulders. I imagine, except for Vanderbilt, his team is overmatched in every SEC game… He’s big, never gets rattled. Rallied his team from a 14-3 halftime deficit basically all by himself. Led them on two successive third quarter drives to go ahead, 17-16. The first touchdown, a 40-yard streak down the left sideline, he dropped the ball over the receiver’s right shoulder. Called the next touchdown pass himself, checking off to a 12-yard slant. In my opinion, most of all, he has that quality you can’t define. Call it magic…Peyton had much better talent around him at Tennessee. But I honestly give this guy a chance to be better than his brother. Eli doesn’t get much help from the coaching staff. If he comes out early, we should move up to take him. These guys are rare, you know.

To read Accorsi’s entire scouting report on Manning, head over to Giants.com and give yourself a few minutes to pour over the words. They’re almost entirely spot on.

A great assessment by a great general manager. A legitimate homerun for the New York Football Giants.