Against the inside run: Shows great instincts and quick footwork. Fills holes fast and aggressively, and is willing to take on lead blockers to either clog holes or drive through blockers to make tackles. Stays active; shows the agility and quickness to move well in tight quarters. Shows a good burst to ballcarriers. Grade: 8.0
Against the outside run: Is better than expected at chasing down plays outside the tackles. Lacks elite speed to catch fast ballcarriers before they turn the corner, but plays faster than timed speed would suggest. Easily avoids blockers in the open field. Grade: 7.0
Blitz/coverage: Isn't an explosive blitzer, but gets moving quickly and fights until the pass is made. Is quick and smooth dropping into coverage. Reads quarterbacks well, and shows a quick closing burst to break up passes. Works well to pick up tight ends man-to-man. Shows the athleticism and speed to stay with tight ends all over the field. Grade: 7.0
Run/pass recognition: Is smart and instinctive; consistently reads and reacts to plays quickly. Doesn't get fooled by play-action fakes and misdirection plays. Consistently gets outside before blockers can get to him on screen passes. Stays under control and tackles well in the open field. Grade: 7.5
Pursuit/tackling: Consistently finishes plays with hard, physical tackles. Is productive in backside pursuit. Get started toward the ball quickly. Reaches full speed in a hurry, and easily moves through traffic to chase down plays. In the open field, maintains good balance and plays under control to wrap up ballcarriers. Grade: 7.0
Bottom line: Mayo, a junior, could have improved his draft stock a bit if he had returned to school but made a solid choice to enter the '08 draft. He isn't the huge thumper some NFL coaches prefer at middle/inside linebacker, but he packs great strength for his size. Mayo should be productive in either a 4-3 or 3-4 defense. Additionally, he will be a great special teams coverage man until he develops into a defensive starter.
Height: 6-1 Weight: 237
40-yard dash: 4.56 10-yard dash: 1.52
20-yard shuttle: 4.29 60-yard shuttle: 11.88
Broad jump: 9-5 225-lb. bench: 22
3-cone drill: 7.32 Vertical jump: 40
Wonderlic: 20-yard dash: 2.57
