Notre Dame Football: Why Manti Te'o Would be Crazy to Bypass the 2012 NFL Draft

Manti Te'o is one of those players that just gets better and better every season he plays. He leads Notre Dame this season with 91 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. It's pretty safe to say he is the best defensive player on this Irish team.

Te'o has tons of upside and is a very smart and athletic football player. He is a very explosive player that has a strong motor and is capable of making plays from sideline to sideline. He has a great combination of speed, intelligence and size at 6'2, 255 pounds.

He can do almost anything you want him to do on the football field, from run defense to pass coverage. He could work on his pass coverage a little more, but he is a solid tackler and has great technique.

With him improving his game every season, he has emerged as one of the premier middle linebackers in all of college football. He is almost guaranteed to be a first or early second-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Only Alabama's Dont'a Hightower and Boston College's Luke Kuechly are ahead of him on most draft boards.

Te'o would be crazy not to go to the NFL draft this season, having built his stock this high.

It's also smart to leave now, when there are nine other starting seniors on this team that will be gone next season. Sure, Notre Dame has talented players to replace those that are leaving, but this is going to be a young and inexperienced team next year.

Almost the entire offensive line, as well as the safeties and cornerbacks won't be here next season.

There is really no better time for Manti Te'o to leave for the NFL draft than now.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]

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