The 2010 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft is underway, with each SB Nation blogger making selections for their respective teams. John Morgan, lead blogger at SB Nation's Seattle Seahawks blog, Field Gulls, checks in to make the sixth overall selection in this year's mock. Take it away, sir!
2010 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: Round 1, Pick 6
With the sixth overall pick in the 2010 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft, the Seattle Seahawks have selected Taylor Mays, strong safety, Southern California.
John Morgan says: Kansas City saves Seattle from the nightmare scenario, but can the Seahawks save themselves? Seattle is seemingly out of the quarterback sweepstakes after investing in Charlie Whitehurst. The three line talents worthy of this pick are gone. That leaves Eric Berry. Or one might assume. I would select Eric Berry, but I think Pete Carroll would select Taylor Mays.
Carroll likes large, fast, hard-hitting safeties. In New England, he inherited Willie Clay (5'10", 193 pounds), and replaced him with Tebucky Jones (6’2", 218). At USC, he inherited Troy Polamalu (5’10", 207), and replaced him with Darnell Bing (6’2", 220). He recruited Josh Pinkard (6’1", 215), and replaced him with Taylor Mays (6’3", 230).
Mays is the most talented safety prospect in the history of Madden Football. He is tall. He is exceptionally fast - so fast that some feel a need to exaggerate his speed. He is linebacker big, and linebacker strong, but can jump like a cornerback. If his tools could be distilled down to SPD, STR, and ACC, he would be an unstoppable force in deep cover, an intimidating in-the-box presence and a dangerous interception threat. This thinking assumes that Mays’ problems are mental. I think what we interpret as mental mistakes might be physical limitations.
Mays is not a guaranteed bust, but clearly, if he was going to develop commendable cover skills, he probably would have already. His path to NFL success is as an in-the-box safety that functions a bit like a linebacker. Mays would make sense in a 46 defense. Mays could replace Deon Grant. Grant spent a lot of snaps in the box, and in that one, narrow function, I am sure Mays would be better than Grant; better than Berry.
Mocking Dan reacts: This pick is crazy. It would illustrate a clear case of over-drafting a player. But it totally makes sense. Of all the defensive stars Carroll had at USC, he always seemed to speak the highest of Mays.
This pick also displays the unpredictability of the draft. Everyone seems assured that Seattle will take an offensive tackle, C.J. Spiller or Derrick Morgan with the sixth pick. But every year we see a shocking pick early. Mays at six would certainly represent that.
Mocking the Draft’s Top 5 remaining prospects: 1 - Eric Berry/S/Tennessee, 2 - C.J. Spiller/RB/Clemson, 3 - Derrick Morgan/DE/Georgia Tech, 4 - Dez Bryant/WR/Oklahoma State, 5 - Joe Haden/CB/Florida
Sound off, SB Nation! Was the selection of Mays shocking to you? Please be sure to check out Field Gulls for all of your Seahawks needs.
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