Matt Cashore- USA Today Sports
Many mock drafts over the past two months have had the Baltimore Ravens selecting linebacker Manti Te’o with the 32nd overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Some question how he will fit the 3-4 defense that the team plays, but it seems like the Ravens have no problem with the selection.
General manager Ozzie Newsome says so himself. Last Week, the Ravens held their pre-draft press conference and were asked about Te’o and the circus that surrounds him.
Newsome was very direct in his response to the critics. “We had that question in our first meeting, and what is the issue?…Is that beating women? Is that using drugs? Is it DUI? How do you clarify that? I couldn’t.”
It is true that the situation seems to be overused in the media to some degree. But what is real is that if Te’o falls to the Ravens and the Ravens select him, expect a massive amount of media outlets to come armed with questions — of both the legit and annoying variety.
Head coach John Harbaugh also chimed in on the matter during the press conference in regards to the Ravens believing in Te’o's leadership skills. “Absolutely we do … We’re comfortable with him. We had a great interview … You look at his body of work, what he has accomplished, who he is as a person, where he comes from.”
If he does end up lands at 32 during the draft, the Ravens can be comfortable in knowing that the pick will be good value.
