When the Detroit Lions announced that one of their major roster goals was to simply get faster—especially on defense—it was impossible not to think about the future of young linebacker Jahlani Tavai. Detroit’s 2019 second-round pick, Tavai had a somewhat promising rookie season, but truly struggled last year after assuming a full-time role. The major criticism of Tavai’s game: lack of sideline-to-sideline speed. At 250 pounds with just 4.86 in the 40-yard dash, Tavai just doesn’t seem like the kind of player that has a role in Aaron Glenn’s speed-focused defense.
When head coach Dan Campbell mentioned Tavai as an afterthought when talking up his linebacking corps, it seemed like the writing was on the wall for him.