Mike Mayock has harsh criticism for Big 12 defenses

Big 12 fans and coaches are not going to like what Mike Mayock had to say about their football conference.

The NFL Network draft analyst held a conference call on Friday to discuss the draft. He talked about the Big 12 and while praising their offensive creativity, he questioned their defenses. He pointed out how Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were tied at 38 at halftime of their game. He said that aside from Texas, none of the conference’s defenses were very tough, which makes it really difficult to evaluate the offensive players for the NFL.

Mike Mayock just skewered the entire Big 12 (except for the #Longhorns) for being "really hard to watch" and insinuating that NFL decision-makers believe it doesn't develop future NFL players as well as the other conferences. pic.twitter.com/OdshdyQH7Y

— Alex Dunlap (@AlexDunlapNFL) April 20, 2018

“You’re not going to like this, and Big 12 coaches aren’t going to like me. I’m just going to say what the — I’ve had a lot of conversations around the league, and sometimes Big 12 football is really hard to watch, especially from a defensive perspective,” Mayock said.

“It’s hard to evaluate those guys. … I’m not taking a shot at their style of football. I’m just saying it’s a different evaluation for the NFL people.”

Mayock is speaking from a talent evaluator standpoint, so he’s not knocking the entertainment level provided by the conference. He’s also not saying they’re worse than other conferences. And he’s not even saying that Big 12 players won’t succeed in the NFL. He’s explaining why it’s tough to evaluate those players, and he’s probably not alone in his thoughts.

Just wait until guys like Gary Patterson hear about this, because you know he’ll have a response.