The Cincinnati Bengals selected Manuel in the sixth round (181st pick overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft, and he played for the Bengals for two seasons in  and . Manuel made his NFL debut against the Cleveland Browns on September 15, 2002, and started for the first time against the Indianapolis Colts and had two tackles.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Manuel in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and he played for them for two seasons.  Manuel made his NFL debut against the Cleveland Browns on September 15, 2002, and started for the first time against the Indianapolis Colts, recording two tackles.