A New Favorite?

Aaron Maybin has opened a lot of eyes lately. Known for having the quickest first step and best snap anticipation in the draft for any DE or OLB scouts found only a couple flaws for him as a player. For those of you who do not have ESPN insider I thought I'd post this grade evaluation for Maybin.

The grade scale: 1-Exceptional 2-Above Average 3-Average 4-Below Average 5-Marginal

Aaron Maybin 6 ft 4 in 252 lbs.

Production=2-A third-year sophomore who declared with two years of eligibility remaining. He redshirted in 2006 and played as a backup and on special teams in 2007, when he notched 12 total tackles, including four sacks. Had a breakout season in 2008, when he started all 13 games and recorded 49 tackles, including 19 TFL. He also led the Big Ten with 12 sacks.

Height/Weight/Speed=3- Adequate height for a DE but can he add 15 pounds to his frame. Likely to settle in as a rush-LB in the NFL. Is in great physical condition (just four-percent body fat) and displays excellent straight-line speed.

Durability=1- Played in all 25 games during his two seasons of eligibility at PSU. Appears to be a flexible, healthy and durable athlete.

Character=1-Very mature for his young age. A natural leader  both vocally and by example. Non-stop motor is infectious. Great football character. Not aware of any off-the-field issues.

Agility/Quickness=1-Exceptionally quick and fluid, even for his type of hybrid DE/OLB. Shows excellent agility and closing burst to the quarterback. Possesses top-shelf body control, as well

Strength/Toughness=3-He is lean and must add bulk to frame. Is light in the rear and shows marginal ability to stack at the line of scrimmage when teams run at him. However, don't mistake small for weak or soft in his case. He is aggressive and feisty. He displays good initial pop and adequate upper-body power. And he certainly does not back down from a one-on-one physical battle.

Instincts=2-A natural playmaker with a knack for jarring the ball loose. Very good snap anticipation and awareness as a pass rusher. Should only continue to improve in this area with more experience.

Pass Rusher=1- Quickest first step of all the edge rushers in the 2009 class. Fluid double moves. Bends the edge tightly. Shows quick hands and strong enough upper body to keep bigger blockers off his pads. Still developing his array of pass rush moves. Gets caught too frequently trying to spin out of double-team attention and needs work in that regard.

Run Stopper=2-Spent a lot of time last season working head-up on the TE as PSU's strong-side DE. Shows discipline with backside containment. Stays low and fights to keep his positioning. Can stack versus most TE's but gets washed out too easily by bigger OT's when they get into his pads.

Above is a before and after picture of Maybin after he picked up about 25 lbs of muscle and went from a mid 4.7 40 time to a 4.59 and 4.63 at his pro day. Of all the major concerns listed above he has erased all those doubts.