Who will win the 2008 Rookie of the Year award?
By PFW staff
April 26, 2008
Managing editor Mike Holbrook's pick: Patriots LB Jerod Mayo
It was a mild surprise that the Patriots drafted a linebacker in the first round, something they hadn’t done during Bill Belichick’s time running the team. However, everyone knew how desperately the Pats needed to bolster their aging LB corps and, for once, the Patriots made the expected move. Belichick has traditionally preferred savvy veterans to carry out the myriad duties required of ’backers in his complex defense. But Mayo has the size (6-1¼, 242), versatility, instincts, intelligence and desire that the Patriots couldn’t pass up. Plus, he has excellent speed (4.59), something New England’s LB corps had been sorely lacking. Mayo, who played both inside and outside at Tennessee, was a tackle machine in college, tallying a team-best 140 in 2007 on his way to being honored as a first-team All-SEC pick. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had the kind of impact that the 49ers’ Patrick Willis, the Panthers’ Jon Beason and the Jets’ David Harris had last year. Unlike those players, Mayo will be playing on a prime Super Bowl contender, creating a perfect recipe for Rookie of the Year.
