By Michael Stets
After adding a defensive player with their first pick in the 2017 NFL Draft on Thursday night, the Detroit Lions added a second one on Friday — from the same college.
At pick No. 53 of the second round, the Lions selected Florida cornerback Jalen “Teez” Tabor, a teammate of first-round pick Jarrad Davis. Tabor notched 33 tackle, four interceptions, six pass break-ups, one sack and a fumble recovery in 2016. He was originally projected to be a first-round pick, but after running a 4.62 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine, followed by a slower time at his Pro Day, Tabor’s stock began to plummet.
While he was selected in the second round, members of his family and friends were shown wearing t-shits emblazoned with the slogan “Press Play Watch the Tape.” Tabor explained what it meant on a conference call with reporters on Friday night.
“It’s something my mom came up with,” Tabor explained. “She didn’t really like everybody talking about the 40 time. She had some shirts made and just wanted to make a statement by saying to put on my tape. That’s really all it was.”
Asked what people would see if they watched tape on him, Tabor said, “They would just see a kid who works hard, a kid that studies film, a kid that is a student of the game. And they are going to see what kind of person that I am and how I can carry myself and just the toughness that I bring to the game.”
Tabor said he’s “excited to be a Lion,” and although he hasn’t yet spoken to Davis, he gave a ringing endorsement of what’s to come for the Florida Gators duo, who are now teammates once again.
“It’s going to be incredible,” he said. “We have a great relationship. Two of the hardest workers on Florida’s team. I feel that is the best thing that we are going to bring to Detroit. Just two humble and hungry young men right now.”
By picking Tabor, the Lions add some much needed help to the secondary that allowed 33 touchdowns last season. Detroit’s opponents also posted a 106.5 passer rating to go along with an alarmingly high 72.7 completion percentage. Tabor, who is 6’0” and 199 pounds, joins Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson and former Oakland Raider D.J. Hayden, who was signed on a one-year deal this off-season.
Tabor said he “loves” Slay’s style of play, calling him “one of the top corners in the game,” and expressed how he will be looking to learn as much as he can from the four-year veteran.
“When I go in I’m going to be connected to him like his phone because I’m just going to be on his hip everywhere he goes and study what he does and what makes him so good because I got a lot to learn,” he said.
As for what he will bring to the table, Tabor is confident his strong level of play will carry over to the NFL.
“I think I’m just a very smart player, a very instinctive player, a student of the game and I think that is going to correlate well to the NFL.
