The Leading Authority of the NFL Draft

Pros: Flying under the radar, don’t be fooled by Mayo’s lack of pub—his skill-set is amongst the best in this draft. He possesses a solid frame with room to grow and prototypical measurables that coaches dream about. His agility and quickness allows him to cover large ground and make plays. Playing the weakside as a sophomore, Mayo stepped in as a pass rusher and proved to be a capable blitzer.  As a junior, he showed the sideline-to-sideline element of his game flashing excellent, almost elite speed and pass coverage skills. He dissects plays well before the snap and rarely gets fooled by play-action or other misdirection – plays well in space. Mayo has proven to be a tough player, willing to play through injuries in order to stay on the field.

Cons: A bit undersized, the Hampton native needs to add some bulk to be an impact player at the next level, particularly if he is to play inside.  At times, the Tennessee product will go all out to make the big hit, rather than making the sound tackle.  Mayo missed time with a knee injury as a freshman (final four games), he suffered through some minor injuries as a sophomore (did not start bowl game) and a knee injury caused him to miss the majority of the spring, which makes his durability as a professional a legitimate concern. 

Overall: When healthy, Mayo had some breakout games as a sophomore, flashing his potential as a playmaker.  He added to his skills this past season, making the move from WILL to MIKE. Not flashy, Mayo is as productive as they come.  His 140 tackles were good enough to lead the premiere conference in college football and earn Mayo First Team All-SEC honors.

Our View: A smart, instinctive player who plays with an aggressive streak, Mayo has shot up the big board leading up to the draft and is considered by some to be the top linebacker prospect in the draft. His ability to play both the pass and the run should make him an every-down linebacker and his knowledge to play inside or outside merely adds to his value.  Mayo should be a highly productive starter for years to come, barring injury.

Pros: Flying under the radar, don’t be fooled by Mayo’s lack of pub—his skill-set is amongst the best in this draft. He possesses a solid frame with room to grow and prototypical measurables that coaches dream about. His agility and quickness allows him to cover large ground and make plays. Playing the weakside as a sophomore, Mayo stepped in as a pass rusher and proved to be a capable blitzer.  As a junior, he showed the sideline-to-sideline element of his game flashing excellent, almost elite speed and pass coverage skills. He dissects plays well before the snap and rarely gets fooled by play-action or other misdirection – plays well in space. Mayo has proven to be a tough player, willing to play through injuries in order to stay on the field.

Cons: A bit undersized, the Hampton native needs to add some bulk to be an impact player at the next level, particularly if he is to play inside.  At times, the Tennessee product will go all out to make the big hit, rather than making the sound tackle.  Mayo missed time with a knee injury as a freshman (final four games), he suffered through some minor injuries as a sophomore (did not start bowl game) and a knee injury caused him to miss the majority of the spring, which makes his durability as a professional a legitimate concern. 

Overall: When healthy, Mayo had some breakout games as a sophomore, flashing his potential as a playmaker.  He added to his skills this past season, making the move from WILL to MIKE. Not flashy, Mayo is as productive as they come.  His 140 tackles were good enough to lead the premiere conference in college football and earn Mayo First Team All-SEC honors.

Our View: A smart, instinctive player who plays with an aggressive streak, Mayo has shot up the big board leading up to the draft and is considered by some to be the top linebacker prospect in the draft. His ability to play both the pass and the run should make him an every-down linebacker and his knowledge to play inside or outside merely adds to his value.  Mayo should be a highly productive starter for years to come, barring injury.