You’ve probably heard by now that the 2017 NFL Draft is absolutely loaded at cornerback. Despite adding Nolan Carroll from the rival Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys still need to add depth and talent to their secondary, and will have plenty of opportunities to do it in the draft. If considering a CB in the first round, Florida’s Teez Tabor could be the perfect fit thanks to his size, length, and versatility to cover physically in man and intelligently in zone.
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Every NFL team has certain size thresholds that they look to fit players into along with their schemes, and for the Cowboys under Will McClay this could not be more true about prospects at the CB position.
According to this incredible draft database put together by Donrey Mariñas, we see that the prototypical Dallas cornerback is 5106 in height with 31 and 2/5 inch arms. A 1.58 second 10-yard split on the 40 yard dash is also preferred when it comes to some of the actual testing result numbers.
Tabor is above average or at least above the Cowboys’ threshold in every major category except his Combine vertical leap number of 31″. In general, a lot of people were turned away by Teez Tabor at the Combine – but as we get more into the tape you’ll see the ability he has to greatly improve any team’s secondary as soon as he steps onto the field.
Whether he connects with his jam fully or even gets one arm on his target, Teez Tabor plays at a perfect pedal level with his shoulders to close on routes at the stem and finish.
This quote and the above film clip come from my complete scouting report of Teez Tabor over at Slant Sports. Breaks on the ball and pass breakups like these are common for Tabor, who plays with incredible fluidity with his hips which allows him to further use his length to his advantage and mirror his targets.
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Tabor could come in as a rookie with the Cowboys and potentially start across from Anthony Brown along with Nolan Carroll and Orlando Scandrick, instantly adding athleticism and play making ability to this unit.
Teez Tabor plays every ball thrown his way with the “my ball” mentality that every NFL team will absolutely love…
I graded Teez Tabor as one of the most versatile cornerback prospects in this class, even getting some experience at safety in college. In Dallas, he can excel in the off coverage that Rod Marinelli often plays thanks to his overall build, pad level, and quick feet.
Tabor can cover ground down field quickly in his drops…
Add in the flexibility for Teez Tabor to excel in press man coverage – often thriving physically in the face of his targets by getting his hands on them and redirecting before bursting to the ball – and Dallas will have another much-needed play maker in their secondary.
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Bringing a burst of confidence to pair with his length and other pro-ready traits, Teez Tabor’s name will be brought up a lot more before the draft as an option for teams in the first round that miss out on other elite CBs near the top of the board.
This final note from my scouting report on Teez Tabor paints him as the perfect prospect to end up with America’s Team with the 28th overall pick. There are certainly flaws to Tabor’s game both in consistent run defense and short-range technique, but his fit with the Cowboys is still clear.
If Dallas wants to continue to focus on not allowing big plays defensively, forcing opposing offenses to march methodically against them while running the ball with success themselves, they need another player like the Florida Gators’ Teez Tabor at the cornerback position.
To see where I have Tabor graded among other CBs in this draft, check out my full 2017 NFL Draft Board – updated in real time as we approach the first round on April 27th!
