OK. So, anybody watching the 2010 season’s first edition of Monday Night Football HAD to have noticed Victor Cruz on the Giants.

What first drew me to the little fireball was his jersey number: 3.

And therein lies the problem. Cruz is not No. 10-19, nor is he 80-89, meaning his chances of truly making the New York Giants prior to Monday Night’s game was slim. I mean, they couldn’t even give him a real jersey number for Pete’s sake (quick side note: who is Pete and why do people say things for his sake? Sorry, just couldn’t let that one slide by without a quick sidebar).

So, how much should you read into Cruz’s 6 catches for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Jets?

Well, considering the Giants’ Steve Smith has become the better of the receiving Steve Smiths and will head into the season as the No. 1 receiver and Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham have really come on as well, there may not be much room for Victor Cruz. Tight end Kevin Boss will demand some throws as well and with Sinorice Moss and Derek Hagan also likely to make the roster as receivers, there would leave one roster spot open at maximum for Cruz to take.

Throw in the fact that Cruz was playing in mop-up time in the first preseason game against the Jets’ second and third string defensive players and things could get dicey.

However, that’s the bad. That’s the glass half-empty approach.

Because on Monday night, Cruz was incredible. His first catch, a one-handed snag as he was racing down the sideline with a Jets corner draping all over him, was one for SportsCenter’s top plays. His second catch was the result of a well-run route and his third grab was another touchdown the next play as he was streaking down the sideline yet again. He added three more catches, one of which was for a score as well.

So what does that tell you?

Well for one, he was obviously on another level in the most high-profile football game yet in the 2010 season. As such, the Giants’ offensive gameplan in the fourth quarter was definitely geared around Victor Cruz, the rookie from the University of Massachusetts.

Cruz’s performance Monday night will signal one of two things — either he scores a better gig and moves up the depth chart, or he becomes a has-been, at least for the rest of the 2010 fantasy season. Figuring out what to expect at this point is like trying to pull off your best Nostradamus impression and actually being right.

Don’t read too much into his performance just yet. It was awesome to watch (I was cheering with my co-workers as we were all joking about how we were going to select him in our fantasy football draft and even LeBron James got in on the action, as he reportedly Twittered about Cruz’s sweet game), but as of right now, it was just that — an entertaining memory.

That’s the problem with preseason — it’s hard to decipher between potential breakout stars and soon-to-be busts. Some guys are going up against third string defenders and others are putting up gaudy numbers in down time of a game where the result truly means nothing to either team.

All that being said, Victor Cruz was flashy and is definitely worth watching over the final three weeks of the preseason. Short of Smith and Nicks, no reciever on the Giants has really warranted job security and even with those two guys, Cruz could still be a viable fantasy option if he continues to play as out of his mind as he did Monday night.

Keep an eye on him. He’s not worth drafting right now, but he could be a great last-round pick with an upside of a No. 3 or 4 receiver.