Saturday, March 18, 2017

Marcus Maye Scouting Report: The Next Great Florida Safety?

Written by Christian Lysek

One of the toughest lessons I've had to learn as an amateur scout is that even if a safety isn't making many splash plays, it doesn't mean he isn't contributing. Marcus Maye is a great example of this. The former Florida Gator isn't a splash guy kinda guy, but he is a valuable player because of his football awareness and good fundamentals.

Measurables: 
Height- 6'
Weight- 210 lbs
Year:
Senior (22)
2016 stat line:
50 Tackles (29 solo), 1.5 TFL. 1 sack, 1 INT, 5 PDs
2017 Combine Performance:
None

Pros: Marcus Maye has the build of an NFL safety. He didn't participate in the combine, but on film, he appears to have good speed, strength, and agility. Against the run, Maye can play in the box and wrap up running backs for short games or play in the secondary and serve as the last line of defense. He is very good at diagnosing where run plays are going and is, for the most part, a sure tackler. In the passing game, Maye has great awareness and ball skills. He doesn't bite on play-action and in my film studies I only remember him being burned once (in over 5 games). Maye is best used in zone coverage, where he is able to read the quarterback's eyes and move into position with ease, eliminating potential throws or breaking up thrown ones. Maye has good ball skills as well, as evidenced by his 5 career picks and 16 career pass deflections. He won't be the one dropping easy picks in the secondary.

Cons: Maye really struggles playing man coverage one on one. He has the speed to keep up with receivers, but he has stiff hips and gets burned by good route runners. He has the capacity to play some man coverage, but he is no Tyrann Mathieu. Maye also misses some tackles when he just throws his body at a ball carrier. He needs to have more consistent form and wrap up runners. The other downside with Maye is that he was injured and missed the last few games of 2016 with a broken arm. It isn't a serious injury, but it is something to look out for.

Pro Comparison: Glover Quin, S, Detroit Lions
This pick came down to Glover Quin and Rodney McCleod of the Eagles, but I decided to go with Quin because his size is almost identical to Maye's (6' 207 lbs). Quin also has the ball skills Maye has and is a highly instinctual player who eliminates throws by positioning his body correctly. Quin occasionally flings his body and ball carriers and misses tackles, but when he wraps up, he is a sure tackler. People forget that Quin was a second team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2014, and Maye could be just as good as Quin was in that season.

3 teams that could use him: The Buccaneers signed J.J. Wilcox, but they may lose free safety Bradley McDougald. If they do, they would be wise to select a smart and versatile safety like Marcus Maye. The Chiefs currently have Ron Parker starting at free safety, who is a decent player, but he is already 29 and not exactly a Pro Bowler. The Chiefs could draft Maye and have him sit behind Parker until he's ready or just insert him into the starting role if he is an upgrade. The Browns have a gaping hole at safety and could use a prospect low-risk, high-reward prospect like Maye to fill the gap.

Conclusion: Marcus Maye is set to be the next great pro to come out of the Florida Gator's secondary. He is a very intelligent football player who dominates in man coverage and is an asset on run defense. Maye has issues in man coverage and with tackling form, but he should hear his name called in the second or third round.

Stats from www.sports-reference.com, Combine Data from Marcus Maye Player Profile on NFL.com

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