Manti Te'o continued his nightmare offseason by running a 4.82 second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, finishing 20th out of 26 linebackers. Still, NFL general mangers aren't worried about Te'o's disappointing time, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.
Manti Te’o’s 40-yard dash time doesn’t concern NFL GMs
Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o struggled in the 40-yard dash, but NFL general managers have said they are not alarmed.
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One AFC general manager said, “at that position what matters is they are productive and make plays.” The general manager went on to say if a linebacker demonstrates quickness and good instincts, then their 40-yard dash time doesn’t make a big difference.
Still, Te'o's draft stock has dropped following his "Catfish" saga and now a disappointing combine. New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese said of all the information surrounding Te'o, "we don't put our head in the sand, but we don't overanalyze the information we get either." It is easy to focus on the recent negatives and forget the impact Te'o had on the field during the 2012 season.
Some believe that Te’o will drop down to the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft given his recent struggles, first off of the field, and now with a perceived lack of athleticism because of a slow 40-yard dash.
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