Patriots' Belichick: Mack good, but no one in Taylor's class

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has the utmost respect for Khalil Mack, but that doesn't mean he thinks that the Chicago Bears linebacker belongs in the same class as Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.

When asked on Wednesday if Mack compares with Taylor and the great pass rushers he's seen, Belichick was quick to say that there was no comparison.

"Now, wait a minute. We're talking about Lawrence Taylor now," Belichick said. "Yeah, I'm not putting anybody in Lawrence Taylor's class. So, you can put everybody down below that. With a lot of respect to a lot of good players now, but we're talking about Lawrence Taylor."

Belichick was the New York Giants' linebackers coach and defensive coordinator for the first 10 years of Taylor's career.

Taylor collected 132.5 sacks during his 13-season career. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

With that said, Belichick does hold Mack in high regard.

"He's big, strong and fast," Belichick said of the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. "He's got a lot of power. He does a good job of power-rushing and he's fast enough to get the edge. He has good ball awareness so he does a good job of tackling the quarterback when he has to tackle him, but if he has a chance to get the ball out he's got good ball awareness and can strip it out."

Signed to a six-year, $141 million contract extension, Mack has recorded five sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception returned for a touchdown in five games.

Mack and the Bears (3-2) will host the Patriots (4-2) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET).