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Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o improved his 40-yard dash time at the Notre Dame pro day, running in a time of 4.75 seconds according to ESPN via Evan Silva. Te'o ran a disappointing 4.82 at the NFL Combine and had experts questioning if he was worth a first-round pick, but he appears to have solidified his status with a slightly improved run on Tuesday.
His draft stock was at an all-time low after a poor performance in the BCS Championship against Alabama, his fake girlfriend scandal and slow 40 time; but despite those struggles, Te'o is back to being rated as a first-round pick. Adam Schefter of ESPN and Mike Mayock of the NFL Network both have Te'o as a mid-to-late first-round selection.
Even though a 4.75-second 40-yard dash is still on the slow side, Te'o's instincts and game film will likely be enough for some team to take a chance on him in the first round. At Mocking the Draft, they don't have Te'o in their current first round mock, but if Schefter and Mayock both have sources placing Te'o in the first round, it is hard to imagine he'll drop further than that.
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