Conventional wisdom says Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o will be taken in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft on Thursday night. His off-field adventures feel like an old story by now, and it's not expected to change his draft stock. At least with most teams.
"We've kind of taken him off the board," one scout told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday. "He doesn't have enough ability to put up with all that. Why fool with it? Try-hard, smart (Wonderlic of 23) guy. This was the first year he's really gotten himself in shape. Some of his teammates think he's kind of a phony."
Opinions vary wildly on Te'o, like they do for most prospects. We believe he is on the board for most NFL teams despite a relatively common skill set. Other scouts noticed that Te'o's playing speed is faster than his timed speed. He has drawn comparisons to Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk. In a survey of scouts taken by McGinn, Te'o ranked as the second-best 4-3 middle linebacker prospect behind LSU's Kevin Minter. Te'o ranked as the top 3-4 inside linebacker prospect, edging out Minter.
Te'o and Minter both are lucky because many teams with picks toward the end of the first round are looking for inside linebackers this year. The Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens all might be looking for linebackers.
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