Mike Mayock continues to be very high on Ryan Mallett, who is the backup quarterback on the New England Patriots to Tom Brady.

Mayock expected Mallett to be a first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, but wasn't selected until the third round with the 74th overall selection.

"This Mallett kid can flat out play," said Mayock on the Peter King podcast this week. "At some point you're going to have to reload without Tom Brady and this kid behind him is sitting there learning everything."

In the preseason, Mallett went 33-for-67 for 300 yards, three touchdowns and one interception (70.5 passer rating).