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With the 169th pick in the 2015 #NFLDraft, the #Panthers select LB David Mayo. #PanthersDraft pic.twitter.com/laEu45pJie
— #PanthersDraft (@Panthers) May 2, 2015
The Carolina Panthers apparently are all about linebackers this draft, as Texas State Bobcats inside linebacker David Mayo was selected on the third day of the NFL Draft with the 169th pick along with previous Panthers pick Shaq Thompson.
Mayo took one hell of a path to the NFL, as he went from living in a shed in California to a full scholarship at Texas State, where he terrorized opposing backs with a relentless east-west pursuit and a solid pass rush. He's a vocal leader with football smarts who can hit opposing backs hard and cause turnovers.
The biggest questions facing Mayo were his speed and size, but his football instincts have often made up for his lack of measurables. He had an excellent Pro Day that reportedly caught the eye of numerous scouts, and apparently it was good enough for him to bounce from a fringe prospect to a solid fifth round draft pick.
Texas State now has two draft picks in 2015 with Mayo and Craig Mager going to the Chargers in the third round. The last time the Bobcats had two draft picks was 2000, but the last time they had multiple players go this high was 1982.