Taylor Mays not worthy of a 3rd Rd pick?

Alex Esselink, Editor
April 14, 2010
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In a recent Q&A with Pro Football Weekly and their readers, Nolan Nawrocki had this to say about USC safety Taylor Mays

There are many world-class sprinters who would not bring any value to an NFL team if they strapped on a helmet. To me, Mays' track speed does not correlate to the field, as he struggles heavily to transition in man coverage, does not break down easily in space and had very marginal production on the ball for a four-year starter. Beyond his football-playing evaluation, I am not sure he is focused enough to handle a big payday. At this point, there is a chance he could easily slip out of the first round, as many evaluators graded him as a third- or fourth-round talent during the season, and his tape does not match his physical prowess. Personally, if I needed a free safety and were making the decision, I would have a difficult time pulling the trigger in the third round, let alone the first.

Whoa.  We've taken some heat on here for being critical of Mays ability to cover.  He was burned badly in instances last season (see the Emerald Bowl).  In fact we didn't have him on our first round of our initial mock draft.  However, I can all but guarantee Mays won't be around in the third round.

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