NFL Draft Preview: Taylor Mays

We preview the NFL Draft from the perspective of the Green Bay Packers.

If the saying is "Stay true to your board," how do you ignore a player like Mays? Reality is that Mays has the potential to be a special player in the NFL. Yes, he could flame out, and there is risk that he won't adjust well to the pro game.

But just watch the video.



There are things to work on. He goes for the kill shot too much, leaving himself vulnerable to penalties and occasional letters from the commissioner's office. Those types of hits can also take him out of the play, leaving teammates to cover for him because he's not in the right spot.

However, there is a lot of potential for a special safety. Mays has good hands, great closing speed, and the ability to turn a turnover into a touchdown. His size makes him a tough guy to avoid in the deep middle, both for quarterbacks and for ballcarriers.

With Green Bay's weak depth at safety, and Atari Bigby's propensity for spending Sundays standing on the sideline in street clothes, it's hard to imagine Ted Thompson passing up on a guy like Mays if he's available (that's a big "if," by the way).

Thompson likes to talk about how "good players are good players," and the Packers aren't going to turn down a good player.

If they think Taylor Mays is a good player, don't be surprised to see them take him.