The New York Giants worked out a number of players this week as they tried to fill positions of weakness, whether it be starting ones or depth pieces. The second cornerback spot remains a major weak point in the Giants’ defense, so it is no surprise that they brought informer Detroit Lions second-round pick Teez Tabor to work out.
Should the New York Giants give Tabor a chance?
Tabor, who was the 53rd overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, was released by Detroit and eventually landed on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad in 2019. He was released this past July after a stellar college career that was hoped to translate over to the NFL.
Unfortunately, Tabor‘s NFL career has not gone the way he anticipated, playing in just 22 games and starting five over two seasons with the Lions. He posted a 63% completion rate against and allowed three touchdowns. His numbers don’t indicate he was completely outmatched, but there had to be something going on behind the scenes.
Fortunately, Tabor didn’t cause any major cultural issues, his major weakness was simply speed entering the draft, but Lions’ general manager Bob Quinn was confident that he could make the transition with ease.
Tabor ran a 4.62 40-yard dash at the NFL combine but was reportedly even slower at his Florida pro-day. Realistically, even linebackers run faster times than that, and we’ve seen offensive lineman do it too.
His lack of agility and speed showed up in games, which was a major flaw in his abilities. He was unable to stick to opposing wide receivers and play solid man coverage, a significant flaw that saw his release sooner rather than later.
That is why teams tend to provide opportunities to athletes and faster players, as technicalities can be taught, but natural ability is unable to change significantly.
While Tabor never had any red flags or bad walk-ins with management, his athletic ability was the determining factor. However, the Giants are desperately in need of a CB2 and are willing to test anything at this point, so despite his deficient athleticism, it could be worth kicking the tires on the former second-round pick.