Su'a Cravens Declares for 2016 NFL Draft: Latest Comments and Reaction

USC star linebacker Su'a Cravens won't return to the Trojans for his senior year, announcing Wednesday he'll enter the 2016 NFL draft.

The Los Angeles Times' Gary Klein reported the news of Cravens' decision to go pro. Klein featured the most vital part of a lengthy post by Cravens on Twitter that confirmed he'd be leaving USC.

"After considering all the options and looking into the future, I feel it is in MY best interest to forego my Senior year and declare for the 2016 NFL draft," wrote Cravens. "Playing in the NFL has been a lifelong dream and I feel the opportunity at hand is too good to pass up."

Cravens has 78 total tackles, including 14.5 for loss, to go with 5.5 sacks and two interceptions this season, per cfbstats.com.     

The Trojans have been known to churn out quality linebackers, with examples from recent years being Clay Matthews, Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Devon Kennard and Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith. That bodes well for Cravens' outlook.

Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer believes Cravens has a lot of upside and could be an X-factor of sorts in the pros:

Cravens excelled as a safety before moving to linebacker for the past two seasons, as Klein points out. He has the tools and experience to be the type of hybrid Deone Bucannon is for the Arizona Cardinals but could also thrive as a 4-3 outside linebacker.

CBSSports.com's rankings rate Cravens as a second-round prospect. Bleacher Report draft guru Matt Miller is considerably higher on Cravens:

With good workouts and interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine, though, the 20-year-old could well cement himself in the first-round discussion.

Part of the reason Cravens may not be as highly regarded by some experts is the depth at outside linebacker this 2016 class figures to have. Notre Dame star Jaylon Smith is the obvious headliner, and despite Cravens' undeniable playmaking ability, other positions on the front seven, such as big run stoppers and top pass-rushers, may take priority.

Drafting comes down to how a player fits into a team's system. Although it's nice to have such a versatile player in Cravens, it's vital the franchise that does draft him has a vision for what his role will be. Trying to do too much as a rookie or bouncing around to different positions may hinder Cravens from reaching his potential.

But finding a place for Cravens on the field is a challenge some team will ultimately embrace. There's real potential for Cravens to excel thanks to his uncanny instincts and the knowledge he had to absorb amid a successful position change in college.