Mothman wrote:
The more I read claims that Te'o was overhyped because he played at Notre Dame, the more I wonder if a lot of the people making that claim just don't like Notre Dame (and let's face it, there are plenty of football fans who fall into that category).
I say he's overhyped, and I'm fine with Notre Dame. The guy got a LOT of coverage, and built a very captivating media story that got a lot of attention...which other linebackers didn't benefit from. The guy made himself into a household name by marketing himself brilliantly (until he was caught...and that even made him more well-known). I just think there's some risk involved in regards to whether or not his skills translate really well to the pros. I don't compare him to Tebow or whatever...that's just ridiculous. They don't play the same position, for one, and for another, Tebow has always been almost a gimmicky wildcat quarterback whereas Te'o obviously is equipped to play the middle spot in any conventional defense. But I do think there are other linebackers that might be a safer bet and a better fit for the Vikings defense.
Even with the comparisons to Chris Spielman, the Vikings don't really run the same defense as the 80's Bears. Ultimately, the guys who define how this defense looks are Williams, Singletary, and Frazier. Judging from the types of linebackers they seem to prefer, Te'o kind of seems like an apple vs. a bunch of oranges. (Then again, they drafted Audie Cole, so who knows)
The only thing that sucks about drafting linebackers is that they tend to have no trade value. Teams generally can have their pick in the middle rounds in any draft, and plenty more in free agency, so trading for them is kinda rare. Running backs, wide receivers, and quarterbacks generally have all the value...but in a draft like this where there aren't a lot of trade worthy quarterbacks, the Vikes might as well load up on those spots that they'd otherwise consider dealing around.