Earl Thomas vs Taylor Mays

I was a huge Mays fan before the season started. His physical tools are off the charts but production has been lackluster. Is this a product of his role on the Trojans or a lack of football IQ? I think that he will be a solid (not great) SF in the league.

Earl Thomas is also a freak physically (not to Mays' stature) and is always around the ball. he has vaulted tonear the top of safety rankings and IMO will be outstanding in the league.

As of today, If Thomas comes out (hes only a soph) I would take him over Mays...

Taylor Mays to me, although he has some of the rarest physical tools, has bust written all over him. The guy just doesn't have a position. He doesnt have the ball skills necessary to be a FS or even a SS and yet hes too small to play linebacker IMO. I agree that I'm worried about his football IQ. The niners need to take a good football player with their 1st rounders. I think we need production not potential when it comes to this draft and to me Mays doesnt have the production so given the choice between the two in the first round I would take Earl Thomas.

Is there any chance that Thomas makes it to the 2nd round? I don't remember to many drafts with 3 safeties in the 1st round.

I was on the fence about Mays befre the season. I wanted to see how he played as one of the leaders after losing all that talent. He did not step up, much like William Moore last year when he was expected to, he looked worse.
Obviously I've seen every game Thomas has played and after looking very good last year I expected him to take a setp this year and maybe be really good next year. He's played well beyond that and has just become a playmaker, in fact he has better stats THIS year across the board than Berry. He's also a very good returner, great in the open field as evidenced by the fact that half the time (almost) he makes a pick he scores or at least has a long return. As a Horns fan, it's almost too bad he's played so well, I thought for sure he'd come back for his Jr year. I don't see hwo that happens now.

Originally posted by northshore:
I was a huge Mays fan before the season started. His physical tools are off the charts but production has been lackluster. Is this a product of his role on the Trojans or a lack of football IQ? I think that he will be a solid (not great) SF in the league.

Earl Thomas is also a freak physically (not to Mays' stature) and is always around the ball. he has vaulted tonear the top of safety rankings and IMO will be outstanding in the league.

As of today, If Thomas comes out (hes only a soph) I would take him over Mays...

Yeah i feel that Mays has natural ball handling skills as well. He's explosive and a natural athlete who can run up and down the court all day long. He has the long arms and that leadership skills that are so much desired.

I think that one area that he needs to improve upon is his post game. His shot selection could use a bit of work as well. But I think that with coaching, these issues can be rectified.

-9fA

Originally posted by 9erfanAUS:

Originally posted by northshore:
I was a huge Mays fan before the season started. His physical tools are off the charts but production has been lackluster. Is this a product of his role on the Trojans or a lack of football IQ? I think that he will be a solid (not great) SF in the league.

Earl Thomas is also a freak physically (not to Mays' stature) and is always around the ball. he has vaulted tonear the top of safety rankings and IMO will be outstanding in the league.

As of today, If Thomas comes out (hes only a soph) I would take him over Mays...

Yeah i feel that Mays has natural ball handling skills as well. He's explosive and a natural athlete who can run up and down the court all day long. He has the long arms and that leadership skills that are so much desired.

I think that one area that he needs to improve upon is his post game. His shot selection could use a bit of work as well. But I think that with coaching, these issues can be rectified.

-9fA

Originally posted by 9erfanAUS:

Originally posted by northshore:
I was a huge Mays fan before the season started. His physical tools are off the charts but production has been lackluster. Is this a product of his role on the Trojans or a lack of football IQ? I think that he will be a solid (not great) SF in the league.

Earl Thomas is also a freak physically (not to Mays' stature) and is always around the ball. he has vaulted tonear the top of safety rankings and IMO will be outstanding in the league.

As of today, If Thomas comes out (hes only a soph) I would take him over Mays...

Yeah i feel that Mays has natural ball handling skills as well. He's explosive and a natural athlete who can run up and down the court all day long. He has the long arms and that leadership skills that are so much desired.

I think that one area that he needs to improve upon is his post game. His shot selection could use a bit of work as well. But I think that with coaching, these issues can be rectified.

-9fA

You're so funny dude, I cant contain my excitement.

isnt earl thomas the dude crabtree shook off to score that TD last year?

Originally posted by northshore:
I was a huge Mays fan before the season started. His physical tools are off the charts but production has been lackluster. Is this a product of his role on the Trojans or a lack of football IQ? I think that he will be a solid (not great) SF in the league.

Earl Thomas is also a freak physically (not to Mays' stature) and is always around the ball. he has vaulted tonear the top of safety rankings and IMO will be outstanding in the league.

As of today, If Thomas comes out (hes only a soph) I would take him over Mays...

Taylor Mays' role has expanded this year so it is his IQ that is lacking, not the Trojans. He lost a lot of his pass rush to the draft and that extra time is really exposing his weaknesses. I would put him as a very fast version of Michael Lewis. He is solid but not worth a top 15 pick.

Nate Allen is better than Earl Thomas. I see this all the time. A guy plays on a championship team and gets drafted way earlier than he was supposed to. No Earl Thomas, no Taylor Mays. You take Eric Berry or Nate Allen and no one else. If we are drafting too high in the first that we think we may not get Berry we need to go after Atogwe or someone in FA.

Just say no to Mays.

Sounds like Thomas is returning to Texas next year.

Originally posted by gilwankel:
Sounds like Thomas is returning to Texas next year.

Where are you hearing that, I haven't heard of him saying anything. Regardless, I'll wait until after the NCG to see what he says. We thought VY was coming back to before that game. If Thomas goes off, and against that QB he easily could pick off a few, score a TD, it's bye bye Earl.

Originally posted by TX9R:

Originally posted by gilwankel:
Sounds like Thomas is returning to Texas next year.

Where are you hearing that, I haven't heard of him saying anything. Regardless, I'll wait until after the NCG to see what he says. We thought VY was coming back to before that game. If Thomas goes off, and against that QB he easily could pick off a few, score a TD, it's bye bye Earl.

Yeah who knows what he will do but OTC quoted this in another thread:

Quote:
Texas safety Earl Thomas will return for his junior season next year and not leave early for the NFL, he said Tuesday night. Thomas, who is a third-year sophomore and therefore eligible for the NFL draft, said he hadn’t given the idea any thought because he and his teammates are focused on the Big 12 football championship game against Nebraska on Saturday. He was voted to the All-Big 12 first team by the league coaches on Tuesday. Asked he was planning on coming back next year, Thomas said, “Yes, sir.” Asked if he thought another collegiate season would help him prepare for the next level, he said, “Yes, sir.” Thomas said he has not discussed any NFL plans with either his position coach, Duane Akina, or Mack Brown, but the head coach said the Texas staff files the paperwork to determine the draft value of all the Longhorn players who are eligible for the draft. - Kirk Bohls, The Austin American-Statesman

I wouldn't use any first round pick on Mays. He simply does not have good football instincts, and that is going to get him killed in the NFL.

I like Thomas, but as much as Mays worries me, he has played pretty well and enforces his will in the secondary. I don't see him as a FS, but at SS he would be an awesome addition to run support and has the capability to play pass defense. Sure he doesn't get the INTs, but if he could catch he'd be a WR or HB.


Thomas looks good, but seems to be a product of Texas' schedule and Muschamp's defense. He needs one more year to get it down completely, but if he comes out, expect him to need a year or two to develop.


Also, the only NFL-ready safety is Berry, so don't lie to yourselves thinking Mays or Thomas could be as productive. Thomas has produced one year and Mays needs to switch to SS, so no one up to Berry's level.