Two down linebacker's are 3rd to 5th round territory imo. I don't want him in the 3rd even, but I wouldn't hate it then. But there's better NFL football players imo.
If he's there in the 4th fine. 5th round, I'd like it. So really 4th or 5th round or no Te'o.
I just don't see this guy as anything more than a marginal two down starter.
He is slow, as I'm sure all he did after the combine was train for the 40. I expect him to be back to his slower self when he isn't training specifically for that.
We're entering an era when speed at LB position is taking the 'normal' speed for a LB and making that 'slow'. In other words, the LB's of today need to be faster than the standard of the past, and Te'o is slow by the past standard.
He was protected up front and when he finally had to deal with the type of chaos of linemen in his grill he'll see at the NFL level on an every game basis, he failed miserably.
Again too slow to cover a TE that isn't Jeff King slow. Would find his way on Kapernick and Wilson's highlight reel due to being too slow.
Don't like his instincts.
If his name isn't Te'o, he's just another mid round ILB that would be projected to be a backup with the possibility to be a marginal starter.
I'd rather have Paris Lenon the next three years.
Lots of college players win awards. Many of them don't pan out. He was good for the collegiate level because the players and game don't outstrip his attributes.
In the NFL they are all smarter, quicker, faster, stronger, and sometimes guys just can't make the transition.
We can get a bonafide starter the next couple of rounds. We shouldn't be drafting a two down lb until it's that time of the draft.
I can see us getting future starters even in the 4th round. Major additions. In this draft I see him as a 5th rounder. If the guys I want all get snapped up earlier, perhaps 4th. Though I expect some GM to make a mistake and take him tomorrow.
There's little reason to think he can come in and start. He'll be a backup and only on the first two downs. If he develops into a starter, he won't be a star. He'll always need to come out on 3rd down.
Again, doesn't matter if his name is Pink Elephant or Bloody Butcher. You take guys like that late in the draft, not 2nd round.
I hope he proves me wrong. But in the draft we could get a starting center in the 3rd or 4th round. A good one. Or a Lattimore. Or a starting safety. I take guys like that, and leave the projected backup/marginal/limited starters to late round picks.
My opinion could be wrong, but that's my opinion.
