Credit: Icon SMI

Strengths: Ideal size and bulk…freakish natural athlete who is incredibly strong…ultra aggressive with an attacking style…an intimidating player…has a knack for the big hit…will make a lot of highlight reel type plays…still improving as a player and took big steps forward in 2008…demonstrated good ball skills in zone coverage…good burst off the line of scrimmage…

Weakness: His aggressiveness can be his downfall at times as he goes for the big hit instead of wrapping up…tends to over pursue and run himself out of plays…still needs to improve his play recognition skills…timed speed is only average…will struggle to handle man coverage, as he can be a bit stiff…concerns about his maturity level, especially after some off the field issues and hits that injured teammates at USC…more of a “thumper”….

Overall: One of the flashiest players in college football, Maualuga will be on NFL highlight reels for year to come. His aggressive style and tendency for big hits will make him an asset in the NFL, especially if he can keep his emotions under control. He could play MLB in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 scheme, but would probably struggle if asked to play in a Cover 2 type scheme. Maualuga is probably a little overrated by the general public but he is still a solid NFL prospect with a ton of upside.