Strengths

• Brings down quarterbacks much bigger than he is. Very good motor and regularly chases down plays from behind.
• A bit stiff but makes the clean open-field tackle. Good effort in pursuit.
• He has good reaction skills and awareness. Forceful tackler vs. the run.
• Good key and diagnosis skills. Quickly locates the ball and shows no wasted motion in getting there. At least adequate lateral agility to avoid blockers and shows good vision and anticipation.
• Gives some effort to chase down running backs. Miscast as a hand-down player and played mostly in passing situations, but has some fair strength for his size and does not break down easily against the run.

Weaknesses

• Limited vision and is easily fooled by misdirection. Lacks range and lateral agility in coverage.
• Needs work on angles and· finding receivers in zone. Does not possess elite quickness. Fails to break down at times, grabbing shoulder pads and lunging to allow ballcarriers to elude him.
• Attacks the line but needs work on stacking and shedding blocks.
• Occasionally overruns plays due to aggressive nature. Hesitates when facing running back Blocks while rushing the passer.
• Lacks fluidity to hold up in space or drop in coverage. Washed out and caught in traffic in the middle of the field.

Kana'i Mauga percentiles vs other Inside Linebacker's (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)