Draft Exam Review: Round 5, Compensatory Pick #1

The NFL draft is complete and so are the bulk of the signings of undrafted free agents. I will be analyzing one pick a day this week plus my favorite undrafted free agents to make the roster or practice squad. Keep Pounding!

Round 5, Pick 169: MLB David Mayo, Texas State University

If you were wondering who Mayo was when the Panthers selected him, you were not alone. However, the Panthers have been fairly successful with their last few fifth round picks: CB Bene' Benwikere, OLB A.J. Klein, and CB Josh Norman. Mayo was the second leading tackler in NCAAF last season but played in the Sun Belt Conference, which is not exactly known for its football talent.

The video above is the first I watched of Mayo's game tape. I can now understand what GM Dave Gettleman was seeing. Mayo certainly has a nose for the ball and takes good angles towards the ball carrier. He also took strong swipes at the ball, forcing one fumble and almost causing another. There were a couple of missed tackles that speak to Mayo's lack of ideal athleticism (he was unable to close enough space to wrap up), but he was not terrible in coverage when lined up over the opposing team's running back. I found an article that listed him as running the 40 in the 4.7 to 4.8 range , which suggests Mayo will never be more than a depth and special teams player.

This selection is part of why I was upset the Panthers gave up their 7th round pick. With only two selections left, Gettleman had to decide if he felt Mayo would last until undrafted free agency, and then he would have to compete with every other team to sign him as a free agent. Instead, Mayo decided to spend one of his fifth round compensatory picks to make sure that the Panthers could bring Mayo in to camp. I can see how Mayo can fulfill a valuable role on an NFL team, especially on a rookie contract, but I think that you could be shooting for a player with higher potential impact in the fifth round.

My grade: 78/100

Mayo can be a solid backup to Luke Kuechly and fill a role on special teams, but that may be all he can ever do. Luke played in 989 out of a possible 1,028 defensive snaps  last season for the Panthers, and his talent dictates that you would want him on the field as much as possible. Now, if Kuechly should ever go down with an injury (I knocked on wood, do not fret), Mayo should be able to step in and do a fine job, but hopefully, that situation will never arise.

Projection: 12 games, 0 starts, 8 special teams tackles