Detroit Lions 2nd round pick Teez Tabor to the haters: “Watch the tape”

When the Detroit Lions selected Florida cornerback Teez Tabor with the 53rd overall pick the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the pick was met with immediate head scratching.

After being touted as a first round prospect before the NFL Combine, Tabor showed up with a reportedly bad hamstring and ran an unimpressive 4.62 seconds 40-yard dash. Speculation immediately began on just how far a corner that couldn’t keep up with NFL receivers would fall in the draft. Leading up to draft night, many had Tabor pegged as a third or fourth round pick. Tabor, obviously, was an exception to this.

His message to those concerned about his 40-time and less than desirable measurables is simple, “watch the tape”.

Tabor’s tape is awesome, and he knows it. It shows a playmaker with great instincts and coverage skills.

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That is tape Lions General Manager Bob Quinn had to be in love with in order to take Tabor in the second round. What exactly may Quinn have seen that he liked so much? Tabor has an idea.

“They would just see a kid who works hard at the game, a kid who studies film, a kid that is a student of the game and you can see what type of person I am through my film and how I can carry myself,” Tabor said. “Just the toughness that I bring to the game and stuff like that.”

The Lions needed help at the cornerback position, and the idea is that Tabor will eventually develop into the No. 2 starter opposite Darius Slay. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin likes Tabor because he’s a long corner willing to do the dirty work at the position. He doens’t shy away from physicality or tackling.

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It’s no secret many Lions fans weren’t thrilled about Tabor’s selection, but for better or worse, the fanbase seems to have an exceptional amount of trust in Bob Quinn. So rather than killing the pick right away, many are taking the the wait-and-see approach in hopes that Quinn got it right, and can finally build this organization into a perennial winner. Something Tabor is ready to come in and contribute to right away.

“As of right now I have a clean slate and I am just ready to come in and prove to Mr. [Bob] Quinn and the Ford family that they made the right decision.”