2019 NFL Draft Profile: Hawaii LB Jahlani Tavai
Will the Warriors linebacker get drafted?
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Tavai’s strengths and weaknesses.
Hawaii linebacker Jahlani Tavai is looking to become the first Warrior player taken in the NFL Draft since 2015, when running back Joey Iosefa was taken in the seventh round.
Tavai is expected to be one of the first players taken from the Mountain West, possibly as high as the second round.
Selected by: Detroit Lions, 2nd round (#43 overall)
Measurables (via Mockdraftable and DraftScout)
40-Yard Dash – 4.86
Vertical Jump – 33 1/2″
Broad Jump – 110″
3-Cone Drill – N/A
20-Yard Shuttle – 4.41 seconds
Bench Press – N/A
Strengths
He is a smart player who can snuff out plays at the snap and has great instinct on where to attack the ball. Smart is not just a code word for not being athletic, but likely due to him studying a ton of film.
Tavai leverages his hands to make up for his lack of strength and he also likes to attack to get behind the line of scrimmage which leads to sacks and tackles for loss.
Weaknesses
Injuries played an issue in his final year by playing in just eight games due to the shoulder injury that sidelined him.
A few other actual on the field things he can work on is getting of blocks quicker, discipline is an issue meaning he needs to be more focused and not over pursuing and one other item is his speed which is average. He also struggles in coverage.
Draft Prediction
Despite the lingering injury concerns and a mixed-bag performance at Hawaii’s pro day, Tavai’s tenacity and intelligence is almost certain to entice some team to select him sometime in the next three days. This draft class has two no-doubt first-round talents at inside linebacker and a lot of murkiness after that, so while it may not be as high a priority as other defensive needs for a lot of teams this year, it’s most likely that he’ll land somewhere on Day Three, sometime in the fifth or sixth round.
