Coming into the 2009 draft, many people expected the Browns to possibly came away from the first day with one of the three highly rated USC linebackers: Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, and Rey Maualuga. The expectation became even greater when the Browns traded all the way back to #21 from #5 in the first round. Both Matthews and Maulaluga were avaialble, but the Browns selected C Alex Mack instead.
And considering Matthews’ relative inexperience having been a full-time starter for one year, and the character red flags about Maulaluga (solidifed by the fact that he was drafted by the Bengals), I agreed with the Mack pick.
Well, the Browns still got a USC LB, but it wasn’t one of the elite three that graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. With their only 4th round pick (#104 overall), the Cleveland Browns selected LB Kaluka Maiava.
Here is the summary of Maiava according to Scouts Inc.:
Maiava is a little bit undersized at 5-11, 229. Still, he displays outstanding football intelligence that allows for him to get into strong initial position as a run defender. He also is a consistent open-field tackler and shows good fluidity in coverage. However, we have some concerns about his overall strength, especially in phone-booth situations.
The key there is “he displays outstanding football intelligence”. Eric Mangini is proving that character and aptitude are two of the most important components he desires, and the Browns’ picks continue to manifest this commitment. The Maiava pick seems like a solid 4th round selection to me, keeping with the theme of the weekend for the Browns.
Here is some more information on Kaluka Maiava:
- Kaluka Maiava Player Profile from USC website
- Kaluka Maiava Combine scouting report from NFL.com
- Kaluka Maiava full Scouts Inc. profile
About Jerod Morris
