One rookie linebacker the Detroit Lions can build around

While there hasn’t been a lot for Detroit Lions fans to feel good about with this defense, one improving linebacker has proven to be a capable leader.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist like Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia to figure out that for a team to have continued success in the NFL, they need to hit on all their draft picks, not just the first round selection.

Part of the reason the Lions have only amassed three wins through 15 weeks is that they have not gotten much production out of their rookie class. First round tight end T.J. Hockenson had a historically successful Week 1, but has gone through some growing pains since then before ultimately being put on IR.

The two drafted rookies in the secondary in Will Harris and Amani Oruwariye have each not played much, making more than a few mistakes in the time that they have seen the field.

Late round draft picks such as defensive end Austin Bryant, wide receiver Travis Fulgham and tight end Isaac Nauta have mostly only been getting snaps because almost half the team is on IR at this point. And rookie running back Ty Johnson has essentially been phased out of the offense since seeing his carries vault up with Kerryon Johnson’s injury struggles.

While the 2019 draft class for the Detroit Lions has largely been full of disappointment, one defender has gradually improved over the season, and could even be the quarterback of the defense next season.

Second round draft pick Jahlani Tavai has seen his snap count skyrocket since Jarrad Davis was slowed down by an injury, and while some rookie linebackers get exposed with a bigger sample size, Tavai has proven that he can be a foundational part of the Lions defense for years to come.

Taking the duties of the middle linebacker role in stride, Tavai has proven to be an excellent communicator and leader on this defense ever since defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni trusted him to don the green dot and get fed the play calls.

Here’s what Tavai told the Detroit Free Press a few weeks back …

"“It’s a lot of talking..it starts with our preparation. We’ve got to see what their adjustments are because they like to motion a lot. So we’ve got to over-communicate and make sure that we’re alerting each other about what we see so it’ll help us in the long run.”"

Part of the reason why the Lions trust Tavai to lead the defense is in a season filled with inconsistent pass coverage, the linebacker out of Hawaii has proven to be one of the more reliable coverage players on the team.

At the beginning of the month, he ranked third out of 85 qualifying linebackers in yards allowed per coverage snap, as opposing quarterbacks don’t look his way much, since he has only given up eight catches on 12 targets for 97 yards all season long.

When quarterbacks have tried to throw past Tavai, he has made them pay. Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston learned that the hard way this week, as Tavai picked him off in the first quarter for the first interception of the rookie’s career.

https://twitter.com/Lions/status/1206275022567944197

Plays like this are the reason why the Lions coaching staff have put more and more trust in their rookie linebacker.

Detroit Lions fans should expect to see some turnover of personnel on this defense next year, but don’t expect Jahlani Tavai to be one of the moving pieces. The gradual improvement all season long and his underrated pass coverage skills could keep Tavai in the Honolulu blue for a long time.