Fooch's Note: Don't forget to vote for the top 5 in our Niners Nation Community Big Board. We'll start voting on 6-10 tomorrow. Our 1 and 2 are looking pretty clear cut, but 3-5 are tightening up. We've had 354 voters, so the more we can get, the better.
One guy that has generated plenty of discussion is USC safety Taylor Mays. While he won't be in the top 5 of our big board, he's still a guy many folks really like. Some people love his crazy athleticism, while others are concerned that he is a one-trick pony that is not worthy of a first round draft pick.
USC conducted their Pro Day yesterday, and Mel Kiper had some comments about Mays and his performance:
The fact that Mays did not run the 40-yard dash at USC's pro day on Wednesday might have disappointed fans but it makes sense. He blazed a time of 4.31 seconds at the NFL combine and covers a lot of ground on film, so the bigger priority was showing that concerns over his stiff hips in coverage are exaggerated.
However, Mays didn't look fluid or comfortable changing directions during position drills. He still projects as a first-round pick because there will likely be at least one team that falls in love with his size/speed combination enough to take him on Day 1.
The constant theme against Mays is this issue of him just being a big-hitter. In his 100 in 100 post on Mays, Drew K had quite a bit to say on the topic, including issues of how much blame lay with Pete Carroll and the USC coaches.
So, for the pro-Mays crowd, I'd like to hear your response to what Kiper had to say. And if the anti-Mays crowd has their own insights (or even concrete examples from Mays' college career), feel free to post them.