NFL: 5 Losers From The Combine
Manti Te’o- Inside Linebacker- Notre Dame Manti’s stock was dropping way before the combine. With the weak performance during the National Championship and the fake girlfriend, Te’o needed a huge showing at the combine. He handled the media well, but struggled with the workouts including the 40-yard dash. Te’o is probably a late-first round pick. Some say he could go to the Ravens with the last pick in the first round. Is it smart to replace Ray Lewis with Manti Te’o? I’ll hold my judgment on that question, but it would surprise me if he falls that far or even into the early second round.
Zack Ertz- Tight End- Stanford As mentioned in the winners section of the Combine, Ertz failed to jump Tyler Eifert, which may have him in the middle of the second round or late second round, especially if Eifert drops that low (which he shouldn’t).
Star Lotulelei- Defensive Tackle- Utah Before the Combine, no doubt Star Lotulelei was a top-10 maybe even a top-5 pick. Now that he has heart condition, who knows if Lotulelei is worth an early pick risk. He was a first team All-American, but who knows if he is healthy enough to play. I feel he goes from top-10 to top-20. If healthy enough, this kid will be a steal if he falls to teams in the 15-20 range.
Landry Jones- Quarterback-Oklahoma Judging by this scouting report, Jones was projected to be a first round pick, if he had a strong season and Oklahoma won a National Championship. Jones has the skill set of a first round quarterback, with his size and arm strength, but struggles under pressure, especially when things go south. With other prospect QB’s like Geno Smith, Mike Glennon, Tyler Wilson and EJ Manuel jumping Jones in many mock drafts, Jones drops from a first round quarterback to a fourth or fifth round pick. A huge blow, which makes me believe that Jones should have left school early.
Montee Ball- Runningback- Wisconsin After an NFL advisory committee told Ball he would be a third round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Ball went back to college. He had a difficult year, first getting assaulted near the Madison campus over the summer, suffering a concussion in the incident. Wisconsin also struggled on the field, however Ball powered through garnering a first-team All-American spot as well as the Doak Walker trophy, awarded to the nation’s best running back. Still, like Jones, Ball should’ve struck when the iron was hot. I still see Ball as a third /fourth round pick.
Photo Courtesy:Aol/Sporting News/AP
