From snap counts to competing for a starting role, we review the rookie season of Detroit Lions second-round pick linebacker Jahlani Tavai.
The Detroit Lions’ linebacker corps has been the weak link of their defensive unit for years. Outside of 2017 first-round pick Jarrad Davis, the team has not done much to bolster the position with starting-caliber talent.
Enter Jahlani Tavai. He was an unknown to many coming out of the University of Hawaii, making his second-round draft selection quite the surprise.
His role on defense prior to the season was unclear. He showed off plenty of versatility in college from the inside linebacker and edge rusher roles — two positions where the Lions needed a lot of help.
His ability to be plugged into several roles also left some speculation to how the linebacker group would look for the 2019 season. Was he going to take over Davis’ spot at MIKE? Would Christian Jones become the backup on the outside?
Despite all this, the rookie was excited to be a part of head coach Matt Patricia’s “multiple defense”.
As the season came around, Tavai’s role was just that: multiple. He saw snaps throughout training camp and the preseason at all four linebacker roles and looked like he could be a capable player from anywhere in the middle of the defense.
In his first go at regular-season action, Tavai stood out while appearing in 71-percent of Detroit’s defensive snaps. The rookie recorded his first career sack that day on a blitz from the MIKE linebacker spot.
Like the rest of Detroit’s linebackers, Tavai struggled to cover both tight ends and running backs in the middle of the field. He allowed nearly 70-percent of the passes that came his way to be completed throughout the season. On the bright side, the rookie is entering his second year as a pro without allowing a touchdown.
The rookie did show some flashes of potential as both a run defender and a pass rusher. He is credited with four pressures and a hurry in his 23 blitzes, along with three quarterback hits. He also logged five tackles for a loss during his rookie season.
Tavai’s snap counts fluctuated heavily throughout the 2019 season. Sharing time with Davis, Jones and Devon Kennard, the rookie didn’t get much experience in a starting role.
His highest snap total of the season came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he remained on the field for 93-percent of the defensive snaps. This also ended up being one of his most productive days. The rookie recorded five total tackles along with his first career interception.
Unfortunately, Tavai suffered a shoulder injury in the following game and finished his rookie campaign on injured reserve, replaced on the roster by fellow rookie Anthony Pittman.
His 2019 season stats aren’t spectacular by any means, just 57 tackles and two sacks over 15 games, but a change-up in the Lions’ defensive coaching staff could be just what the young linebacker needs.
Detroit brought in former Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach Cory Undlin to run the defense and hired former NFL linebacker Tyrone McKenzie to coach the position he once played.
McKenzie served as the Tennessee Titans’ linebackers coach for the past two seasons and will be an immediate upgrade over Detroit’s former position coach Al Golden, who was one of the last remnants of the team’s previous coaching regime.
Based on how successful the Titan’s linebackers have been in recent years, there is a lot to look forward to with Jahlani Tavai’s development in his second year as a pro.
