Evaluating Manti Te’o's draft stock

Clearly there are a lot of questions that need to be answered, but I thought it would be worth breaking down where Manti Te’o currently stands in the NFL Draft process. Here are just a few quick thoughts on what he can expect to encounter and how this story may impact his draft stock.

For starters, I have to wonder if this influenced Te’o's decision to skip the Senior Bowl. Since he came forward to Notre Dame about the fake girlfriend on December 26, it’s safe to assume he knew the media would eventually get their hands on it. It’s possible he didn’t want to expose himself to their questions so soon after the story broke.

Difficult times lie ahead for Te'o.
Te’o won’t be able to avoid questions from NFL teams, however. The combine in late February is going to be a miserable experience for him. NFL teams grill players over the tiniest mistakes they have made – even players with little or no serious character concerns in their past. Many teams have a coach or someone working in the front office who is capable of playing the “bad cop” in these interviews and you can bet Te’o will get their best shot in Indy.
Even if teams chose to believe Te’o's side of the story, he will still get grilled about having an online “girlfriend” whom he never met. That’s a difficult concept for most of us to grasp, and I’m sure there are more than a few old school NFL coaches who can’t even fathom the idea. They will want Te’o to explain every last detail about how it happened so that they can better understand him as a person. Teams routinely ask players about their relationships, so this won’t be an unusual line of questioning. But the answers Te’o gives will certainly be interesting.
I would not be surprised if some teams remove Te’o from their draft board if his responses to their questions aren’t satisfactory. Te’o's released statement already doesn’t match up with things he has said in the past. If he fails to clear things up some teams may simply not trust him.
Te’o is not an elite prospect, which is why teams may hold this against him. Teams are always willing to be more forgiving of a player with elite physical skills, but Te’o is a fringe first-round prospect with questions about his weight and athleticism. When a player already has concerns, teams tend to look for any excuse to drop them further down the draft board.
Additionally, a major plus in Te’o's scouting report was his intelligence and leadership. This story raises some concerns about the type of person he is – regardless of whether or not he was in on the hoax. NFL teams spend hours evaluating the personality of the players they are about to invest millions of dollars in on draft day. And teams have a profile of the type of person who typically succeeds at the next level. Having a year-long relationship with an online girlfriend who he had never met does not factor into that profile. Whether it’s fair or not, linebackers are supposed to be loud, confident, type-A personalities. Some teams will definitely look past this issue, but don’t underestimate the old-school mentality that still exists in many NFL locker rooms and front offices. There will be teams who are concerned with Te’o's ability to fit in and be a leader.

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Ryan McCrystal in 2013 NFL Draft Leave a comment

Manti Te'o

NFL Draft Stock Report: Risers and Falls

Manti Te’o – LB – Notre Dame
Te’o has developed into a more well-rounded linebacker this season, as I outlined on Bleacher Report earlier this week. As the unquestioned leader of the Irish defense and a four-year starter, Te’o also has all the intangibles that teams look for in a potential 1st-round pick. Entering the season I thought he was a fringe 1st-rounder, but he’s solidified his place among the top 32 picks in my opinion.

Stepfan Taylor – RB – Stanford
Taylor has been a workhorse for the Cardinal this year and is well on his way a third consecutive 1,000-yard season. Taylor entered the year a mid-round prospect, but his performance against USC caught the attention of scouts and he may have chance to climb into the top 50. It helps that this is a weak class of running backs, with only one prospect who looks like a 1st-round lock (Marcus Lattimore).

Dri Archer – RB – Kent State
Archer is a junior and will likely return for his senior year, but he is definitely an under-the-radar name to know. He’s listed at 5,8″, 164 pounds but is as explosive as anyone in the college game. Through three games this season Archer is averaging 8.6 yards per carry, 9.9 yards per reception and 42.2 yards per kickoff return. He has the type of explosive speed that could land him a spot in the 3rd or 4th round if a team is looking to add a new dimension to their offense.

Montee Ball – RB – Wisconsin
Ball left the Badgers game this past weekend with a head injury, which may have been his second concussion since this summer. In addition to the injuries, Ball has not looked like the same running back without the help of Russell Wilson, Kevin Zeitler and Peter Konz. At this stage, Ball looks like a fringe day-two prospect, and could easily slip into the 4th round or later.

Logan Thomas – QB – Virginia Tech
I still believe Thomas has a chance to be the No. 1 pick in the draft based on his enormous potential, but it’s hard not to take notice of his struggles the past two weeks. In each of the Hokies past two games (vs Pittsburgh, Bowling Green) he’s completed less than 50 percent of his passes. Inconsistent play from his number-one receiver, Marcus Davis, definitely doesn’t help, but Thomas needs to step up his game down the stretch to remain in the mix to be the top selection in April.

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Ryan McCrystal in 2013 NFL Draft Leave a comment

Manti Te’o scouting report

Manti Te’o ILB Notre Dame #4
	Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 255
Strengths:
Prototypical size and strength. Excels against the run. Reliable tackler; a hard hitter but also has great fundamentals and rarely misses an open-field tackle. Does a decent job shedding blocks to get into the backfield. Adequate speed; shows sideline-to-sideline ability. Exceptional vision; keeps eyes in the backfield and does an excellent job reacting to the ball carrier and putting himself in position to make plays. A team leader on the field.
Weaknesses:
Marginal coverage ability. Limited experience in man coverage and may lack the fluid athleticism to match up with some of the NFL’s elite pass-catching tight ends and running backs. Doesn’t have speed to stick with tight ends on deep routes; needs to be supported by a safety when asked to drop into coverage.
Comments:
Te’o is a polished run defender who has the skills to play inside or outside at the next level. He may actually be best suited to shift to strong-side linebacker in a scheme which requires more pass rushing and less dropping into coverage. His upside is limited somewhat due to average athleticism, but his fundamentals and on-field awareness have already developed to the point where he is one of the safest bets in this year’s draft class.

Posted on November 12, 2011 by Ryan McCrystal in Scouting Reports - 2012 Leave a comment

Manti Te'o