Taylor Mays - Draft Projection - NFL Impact

Miller

Miller

Who Dey
Administrator
Taylor Mays

Safety - USC​

  • Height - 6-3
  • Weight - 231
  • Projected 40 Time - 4.47
2009 Stats:
  • 96 Tackles
  • 1 Interceptions
Draft Projection - 1st rounder

NFL Impact: Mays is an incredible blend of size, speed, and power. He was a four year starter at USC and Pete Carrol has stated on several occassions that he was the fastest player on the team...at 230 pounds! Mays is a great athlete who is very fast and has an outstanding burst. He is solid in run support and is a big hitter. One knock on his is that he goes for the big hit too often instead of trying to make a play on the ball. Needs to wrap up more and at times struggles in space.

Mays is a freak of nature that will likely blow scouts away at the combine and climb up draft boards. It is rare to find this combination of size, speed, and natural athleticism. In the right scheme Mays could be an intimidating safety and have a big impact at the next level. So where do you think Mays will land? What type of impact will he have in the NFL?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWroHILuG-I"]YouTube- Taylor Mays[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8ze_jaJlXQ"]YouTube- Taylor Mays Career Highlights[/ame]




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Sgt John

Sgt John

Sith Lord of T&A
Almost projects to outside linebacker.... If his playing speed is at a safety level in the pros he could end up a probowler...but I still see a run at OLB at some point.
 
DearbornDolfan

DearbornDolfan

Active Member
It would be a waste, I think. Maybe as a Mike in a Tampa 2, but that's it. I think you put the guy in at strong safety in an aggressive zone blitz scheme where his talents and speed will flourish. You absolutely cannot let a QB read and react to him, though, because he will not make one damned play on the Peyton Mannings of this league.
 
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Sgt John

Sgt John

Sith Lord of T&A
Solid assessment DD. Of course about the only guy who makes plays on Peyton Manning is Ed Reed, and this guy aint no Ed Reed.
 
DearbornDolfan

DearbornDolfan

Active Member
I honestly like what Mike Nolan did with the guy during the Senior Bowl game. He was put in a position to make plays in the box and underneath the deep routes and it payed off big. That interception at the goal line was a thing of beauty and it told me a couple things:

1) Put in a zone with a chance to watch the QB, he WILL make a play if it comes to him.
2) He's a gifted athlete, as we all know, but the reports that his stiff hips betray him are accurate.

With a good coach he'll learn some tricks to compensate for his weaknesses and I can see him pulling down three or four interceptions a year. He's definitely not Ed Reed, but he's probably a poor man's Troy Polamalu.
 
WesDawg

WesDawg

'Burghapologist
Not to beat a dead horse, but as has been addressed in other threads, I think Mays would be a phenomenal MLB in a 3-4. Let him use that speed to blitz from crazy angles and shadow RB's and TE's out of the backfield in the middle and the flats. He just doesn't show the ball skills needed to patrol the deeper 3rd of the field, in my opinion. I compared him to Roy Williams before, and I'll stick to that until I see different. If he's used properly in the right scheme he could be totally disruptive.
 
Sgt John

Sgt John

Sith Lord of T&A
Williams was 219 and ran a 4.53 at his combine. They are projecting Mays about a 10th of a second faster.
 
WesDawg

WesDawg

'Burghapologist
So as adept at Williams was at playing in the box, Mays could step that up a notch. For fantasy IDP purposes, he'll make his money on Tackles, TFL's, FF's and sacks and probably not offer much in the way of INT's or PD's?
I just think the reason he was so much more highly regarded last year was because he played so well off of the studs in front of him, cleaning up scraps and just freely roaming around the field. This season he had to compensate and make more of his own plays, and just wasn't quite as effective reading and reacting.
 
Miller

Miller

Who Dey
Administrator
From a productivity standpoint wasn't his best year 2009? Kid had 96 tkls!
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Sgt John

Sgt John

Sith Lord of T&A
Only forced 6 turnovers his entire career. ESPN only shows him with 88 tackles last year.

Never was credited with a pass defensed. Never registered a sack.

The lack of playmaking and leadership-by-performance from Mays has led experts to quote his stock for the upcoming NFL draft as one that is heavily slipping, though his pre-draft workouts are expected to impress NFL managers the league over
Click to expand...

But in the same breath they mention he is a 3 time 1st team All American.

Who knows..........
 
Miller

Miller

Who Dey
Administrator
This is one of the guys I am most interested in the 40 time at the combine. He comes in and runs under 4.45, and watch this kid rocket up the board. If he runs over a 4.52 and watch him fall and the LB questions start to get very loud. Somewhere in the middle is what most expect.
 
WesDawg

WesDawg

'Burghapologist
Let Pete put his money where his mouth is and end the drama by taking him with their 2nd 1st rounder, then.
 
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