“He’s done things there in his short career with the Patriots that I wasn’t able to do until my eighth or ninth year or something like that. That’s how far along he is. That’s how good he is,” Bruschi said of the 6-foot-1, 245-pound Mayo. “I never had the ability that he has — how fast he is, how big he is and strong. The sky is the limit for him. I truly see him being the best linebacker in the game within two years. I think that’s how good he is.

“No matter what defensive scheme they run,” he added. “They’ll run some 3-4. They’ll run some 4-3 looks. And he can do it on a down-to-down basis. It’s very difficult to do, especially in that system — I know. The sky is the limit for him.”