Jerod Mayo vs Patrick Willis - New England Patriots Forums

PonyExpress · 04-24-2008, 12:55 AM

Height
Mayo 6'1''
Willis 6'1''

Weight
Mayo 242
Willis 242

40yd
Mayo 4.54
Willis 4.51

VJ
Mayo 40.5
Willis 39

SS
Mayo 4.29
Willis 4.37

3C
Mayo 7.31
Willis 7.10

Mayo, from NFL draft scout:

"Strong presence in the huddle....Plays with injuries that would sideline most... shows functional strength at the POA, taking on the lineman or fullback with aggression...smart athlete who calls defensive signals...does the extra filmwork to prepare for games and has no problem taking plays from the chalkboard to the playing field"

Hmmmmm......

***Box_O_Rocks*** · 04-24-2008, 12:58 AM

No, don't say it! I like Mayo and comparing him to that chase LB of SF's breaks my concentration!

04-24-2008, 07:03 AM

I said it two weeks ago, he is the closest thing right now to Patrick Willis and anything remotely close to Willis is fine with me, as long as we can take him with Carolina's pick or lower.

Metaphors · 04-24-2008, 07:20 AM

I don't think it is an unreasonable comparison. The major difference I've seen is the power and aggression of Willis, particularly against the run. Mayo doesn't seem to have the same mean streak and ability to run through walls to get to the ball. He is my first round binky, but as others have noted, I would like my binky in the low teens please...

BradyManny · 04-24-2008, 07:30 AM

Interesting breakdown. Mayo is another guy who if he happens to be there at 31 will make me re-think my feelings towards losing #31. I have recently been of the mindset that the Pats are going to be just as well off by trading #7 back a few and picking up a 3rd and that the loss of #31 will not be a real issue, but if Mayo, Cason or Groves is taken somewhere between 30-40, I'll probably flip.

mac · 04-24-2008, 08:27 AM

Mayock has Mayo in his top ten now. Casserly has the Pats taking Mayo at #7.

JoePats · 04-24-2008, 08:30 AM

Pony, I really like these breakdowns of athletic profiles from prospects of different years.

sebman2112 · 04-24-2008, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PonyExpress

Height
Mayo 6'1''
Willis 6'1''

Weight
Mayo 242
Willis 242

40yd
Mayo 4.54
Willis 4.51

VJ
Mayo 40.5
Willis 39

SS
Mayo 4.29
Willis 4.37

3C
Mayo 7.31
Willis 7.10

Mayo, from NFL draft scout:

"Strong presence in the huddle....Plays with injuries that would sideline most... shows functional strength at the POA, taking on the lineman or fullback with aggression...smart athlete who calls defensive signals...does the extra filmwork to prepare for games and has no problem taking plays from the chalkboard to the playing field"

Hmmmmm......

Comparable Combine numbers, but I'll take Patrick Willis over Mayo without any hesitation. Also, if you paid a little closer attention to some of his weaknesses, you'll see that he's probably not a good fit for a 34 defense, but I do understand the interest, and maybe with some good coaching he could fix some of those issues.

BOR, I'm surprised you even like this guy for the Pats. He's got some of the same problems you tried convincing me that Patrick Willis had during our conversations in 2007. You didn't seem to think he would even be that good in the NFL, and thought he was an absolutely bad fit for the Patriots. I don't know if you remember, but I talked about asking our staff for tape of Willis? After watching that tape I knew he was going to be something special, but for some reason he still had some doubters.

Some of Mayo's weaknesses:
Needs to improve hand use, takes to long to shed blocks, best when protected (IE: 43 LB), Lower-body strength needs to improve, doesn't get a wide base when anchoring, has some trouble in the phone booth (gets caught up in traffic, and struggles to shed blocks), can get caught out of position, he can be to aggressive at times, will miss some open-field tackles, needs to improve his footwork in coverage, and he can also bite on play fakes.

PonyExpress · 04-24-2008, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sebman2112

Comparable Combine numbers, but I'll take Patrick Willis over Mayo without any hesitation. Also, if you paid a little closer attention to some of his weaknesses, you'll see that he's probably not a good fit for a 34 defense, but I do understand the interest, and maybe with some good coaching he could fix some of those issues.

BOR, I'm surprised you even like this guy for the Pats. He's got some of the same problems you tried convincing me that Patrick Willis had during our conversations in 2007. You didn't seem to think he would even be that good in the NFL, and thought he was an absolutely bad fit for the Patriots. I don't know if you remember, but I talked about asking our staff for tape of Willis? After watching that tape I knew he was going to be something special, but for some reason he still had some doubters.

Some of Mayo's weaknesses:
Needs to improve hand use, takes to long to shed blocks, best when protected (IE: 43 LB), Lower-body strength needs to improve, doesn't get a wide base when anchoring, has some trouble in the phone booth (gets caught up in traffic, and struggles to shed blocks), can get caught out of position, he can be to aggressive at times, will miss some open-field tackles, needs to improve his footwork in coverage, and he can also bite on play fakes.

Oh I agree my method of comparison was very flawed, I just thought it was visually interesting.

***Box_O_Rocks*** · 04-24-2008, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sebman2112

BOR, I'm surprised you even like this guy for the Pats. He's got some of the same problems you tried convincing me that Patrick Willis had during our conversations in 2007. You didn't seem to think he would even be that good in the NFL, and thought he was an absolutely bad fit for the Patriots. I don't know if you remember, but I talked about asking our staff for tape of Willis? After watching that tape I knew he was going to be something special, but for some reason he still had some doubters.

I didn't seem to think he'd be that good in the NFL? I didn't see him as a good fit for the Pats' 3-4, but I always felt he was the perfect 4-3 MLB. I do recall watching Willis getting blocked by Brian Leonard at the Senior Bowl, which wouldn't be too bad except that Leonard took out two LBs with that block - unimpressive for Willis. Willis was okay scraping downhill against the run, but spent most of his time doing the same thing he did for SF, chasing down ball carriers across the field.

I wasn't watching for Mayo when I watched Tennessee, so I have no eyeball impression to work with.

Here's NFL Draft Scout's profile for both Mayo and Willis:

Mayo

Quote:

Positives:Productive open-field tackler and playmaker who is a strong presence in the huddle, playing with good aggression taking on lead blockers...Shows functional strength at the point of attack, taking on the lineman or fullback with aggression, but does struggle some vs. double teams...Smart athlete who calls defensive signals, doing a nice job of staying on his feet. Knows how to avoid blocks while maintaining balance on the move...Sees counter plays quickly and plays with a good motor, showing urgency when closing...Does the extra film work needed to prepare for games and has no problem taking plays from the chalkboard to the playing field...Comes off the edge with explosion as a pass rusher and can blast his way around wide bodies, take a big loop and still track down the ball...Can play any linebacker position, but his hand usage, pursuit skills and depth in his zone drops are better suited for the weak side...Can adjust on the move and is quick to read and react to keys (sees the big picture and works hard to get to the ball)...Has stack-and-control ability taking on the fullback and is good with his hand placement trying to reroute tight ends and backs when pressing...Lacks the ideal bulk to avoid being absorbed vs. combo blocks, but does a good job of keeping position and separating from the isolated blocker...With his hand jolt, he can stack the tight end at the point of attack...Allows very little cushion on running backs coming out of the backfield in passing situations...Difficult for blockers to locate, as he's always moving...Can avoid trash on his way to cut off the ballcarrier...Better tackling outside than inside against bigger blockers, but he hits with good force upon initial contact and does a nice job staying in control...Shows good awareness in man coverage, mirroring the receiver in the short area before switching off on his assignment...Anticipates the pass well and has the loose hips and quickness to gain position and run with the receivers anywhere on the field...Gets good zone drops due to his hip flexibility, showing the quick feet to fluidly turn and stay tight on his man in pass coverage...His ability tracking the ball in flight stands out on film...Plays alert in the deep third of the field and can drop into zone coverage with his head on a swivel, with the burst and acceleration to get to the receivers in the secondary.

Willis

Quote:

Positives: Aggressive taking on multiple blockers, using his leg drive and power to stack single blocks at the line of scrimmage...Instinctive and quick reactor who won't get fooled by play-action and is quick to recognize blocking schemes...Stays square when facing up to offensive guards, getting enough leverage with his strength and shedding quickly thanks to active hand swipes...Looks natural reading plays and also seems to be in position to make the tackle...When he makes proper reads coming off the snap, he is instant in attacking the ball...Has the hand strength to take on and shed blocks and it is rare to see him get pinned when he stays low in his pads and keeps his hands inside his frame and active...Takes on the lead blockers with force, sinking his weight to push the opponent back and clog the rush lanes...Comes off blocks cleanly to redirect and make the play working in-line...Is more of a hit-and-run type working toward the outside running plays, as he has the chase acceleration and takes proper angles to close...Has a good feel for the pass, getting to the flats with good urgency and gets a good jump on the ball working in the zone...Uses his lateral agility to bull rush into the backfield...Will jolt an opponent on contact and plays with very good leverage when attempting to blitz, as he is quick to locate the quickest running lane to close on the quarterback...Makes every effort to collapse the pocket, but must keep his hands active to prevent from getting stacked on his inside charge...Has good speed for man coverage (just lacks a feel for where he should position himself)...Smooth in his backpedal and has good plant-and-drive agility to mirror backs and tight ends in the short area.

Pretty similar, Willis plays better inside and should, he's a career MLB. Mayo seems to have a clear edge in pass coverage.

Mayo

Quote:

Negatives: he needs to be more active with his hands in attempts to shed, as he can be absorbed by bigger blockers...Not stout enough to stack and control in tight areas, as he does not keep his hands active enough to handle double teams...Showed improved hand usage as a junior, but must do a better job of extending his arms to defeat cut blocks...Better suited for a defensive system that will allow him to cover up, read and move, rather than one that requires Mayo step up and plug holes at the line...Better coming off the edge, where he has good swim and spin moves in attempts to pressure the pocket (can get ping-ponged when trying to bull rush)...Must be more aggressive using his hands to get into the blocker's chest, as the opponent can lock on and push him around at times.

Willis

Quote:

Negatives: Gets walled off by the larger blockers when he fails to keep his hands inside his frame...Lacks ideal bulk to control or split double teams...While he has the speed to cover deep, he is a bit of a liability in this area, as he looks slow to see the routes develop when working in the zone...Slippery in his moves through trash, but will get walled off once a bigger blocker latches on to his jersey to ride him out.

Again, the descriptions are similar.

Quote:

Mayo is a student of the game, spending hours working on his skills after practice and watching game film. He also has a natural feel for the game to put him right in position to make the play.

Compares To: RANDALL GODFREY-Washington...Godfrey's ability to play on the outside or inside proved invaluable. While Mayo proved that he has the field smarts to handle middle linebacker, he might lack the bulk to do so at the next level. With his range and closing speed, he could be a better fit on the weak side, whether aligned outside in a 4-3 or inside in a 3-4. He could be a perfect fit to team up with David Harris in New York's 3-4 defense.

Willis

Quote:

Compares To: DAN MORGAN-Carolina...Or at least what the Panthers have seen from Morgan when he isn't suffering from a rash of concussions. Willis is like Morgan in his ability to sift through traffic and flow to the ball with suddenness. He has valid run defense instincts and keeps the plays in front of him, but does struggle recognizing the pass plays. He needs to add bulk to defeat double teams better at the next level.

So where to they differ? Mayo is a junior who showed improved hand usage in his first year working inside at MLB. Willis was a MLB in high school and college, Mayo is an OLB who was moved inside - he's still learning (and growing) yet based on these write-ups he's already similar to Willis at an earlier point in his career. If I had seen him play I might not want him, but he's the one (not Willis) who NFL Draft Scout wants to pair up inside a 3-4 with David Harris who you and I both liked last year. Mayo gets high marks for intelligence, let him backstop Bru.