By most accounts, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o has made a positive impression in interviews at the NFL scouting combine. His on-field testing, however, hasn't suggested he is primed to be anywhere close to a top pick in the 2013 draft.
Te'o officially ran his 40-yard dash in 4.82 seconds Monday, a relatively slow time for a prospect who weighed in lighter -- 241 pounds -- than some middle linebackers. He also declined to do the bench press because of a shoulder injury.
We've discussed Te'o as a possibility for potentially open linebacker positions with the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, and he could well become an elite NFL player. But his combine test results, which ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay termed "disappointing," won't boost his draft stock.
