Patriots players flooded social media platforms last week to pay tribute to linebacker Jerod Mayo, who essentially told the world via Instagram he is retiring.
Devin McCourty referred to Mayo as “one of the greatest Patriots to lace the cleats up.”
That’s high praise for the former first-round draft pick. As a two-time Pro Bowl player and 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Mayo was certainly no slouch. But during the Bill Belichick era, if you compare him against others who played for the Hoodie, he almost looks like your average Joe. In our book, anyway, he doesn’t crack a top 10 list of the Patriots’ all-time best defensive players.