Second-round picks add spice
Te'o, Smith selections draw big reactions from football fans at the draft
Published 11:54 pm, Friday, April 26, 2013
Manti Te'o and Geno Smith provided the sizzle previously missing from the NFL draft.
Te'o is headed to San Diego, Smith is a Jet, and Radio City Music Hall shook with the kind of noise usually heard in stadiums when they were selected.
The theater rocked with two picks within minutes of each other Friday night.
Te'o, the Notre Dame All-America linebacker, was chosen sixth in the second round by the Chargers, drawing a loud roar from the fans. One spot later, the Jets took the West Virginia quarterback, drawing a raucous reaction of cheers and boos.
The big names had taken over from the bulk and beef of opening night, when 18 linemen went in the first round.
Te'o, who led the Fighting Irish to the national championship game, was projected as a first-rounder last year. But his poor performance in a rout at the hands of Alabama, some slow 40-yard dash times, and a tabloid-ready hoax involving a fake girlfriend that became a national soap opera dropped his stock.
"I did expect to go in the first round," Te'o said. "But things happened and all it did was give me more motivation."
Regional second and third round picks
Team Player Pos. College
39 N.Y. Jets Geno SmithqbW. Virginia
41 Buffalo Robert WoodswrSo. Cal.
46 Buffalo (fr. St. Louis) Kiko AlonsolbOregon
49 N.Y. Giants Johnathan HankinsdtOhio State
52New England (fr. Minn.)Jamie CollinslbS. Miss.
59 New England Aaron DobsonwrMarshall
72 N.Y. Jets Brian WintersotKent State
78 Buffalo (fr. St. Louis) Marquise GoodwinwrTexas
81 N.Y. Giants Damontre MooredeTexas A&M
83New England (fr. Minn.)Logan RyandbRutgers
91 New England Duron HarmondbRutgers
It was more a mix of surprise and recognition of the most talked-about player in the draft finally finding a landing spot at No. 38 overall.
The Chargers traded up with Arizona to grab Te'o, the Heisman Trophy runner-up. Te'o ran a 4.82-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, slow for a linebacker. He did better at Notre Dame's pro day, but NFL teams already had plenty of football reasons to doubt his worthiness as a first-round pick.
"We did a lot of work on Te'o and I've seen him for a number of years," first-year general manager Tom Telesco said. "He loves football. He's passionate about it. He loves to practice. He loves to play."
Te'o was the third linebacker chosen in this draft.
"It's a perfect scenario. My parents can come and watch, I can go home, it's San Diego," said Te'o, a native of Hawaii.
With the next pick, the Jets sent their QB situation spiraling into further chaos. Safety Johnathan Cyprien of Florida International was the first selection of the second round. Cyprien was a standout in the Sun Belt Conference and really solidified his stock with an excellent performance in the Senior Bowl.
Arizona added some spice to the third round by selecting former LSU cornerback-kick returner Tyrann Mathieu. The Honey Badger was a 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist that LSU dismissed from the team last August for failing a drug test.