By PFW staff
July 24, 2008

The Patriots agreed to terms with first-round ILB Jerod Mayo, the Boston Globe reported Thursday. The 10th overall pick of the draft, Mayo is expected to challenge for a starting inside linebacker spot immediately, despite coach Bill Belichick’s preference for veterans manning the position. Terms of the deal were not immediately known.

Mayo declared for the draft after a standout junior season at Tennessee, where he piled up 140 tackles from his MLB spot. He has shown the versatility to play on the weak side, although the Pats envision him making his biggest contributions on the inside, but PFW draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki disagrees.

In PFW’s 2008 Draft Preview book, Nawrocki writes that Mayo “ran well in a straight line at the Combine but does not play up to his speed. He lacks the take-on strength to excel in the middle and looked most comfortable on the weak side in the Outback Bowl vs. Wisconsin. Played his best late in the year when he began to recover fully from his surgically repaired knee injury.”