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Who is Jahlani Tavai? We find out with help from a Hawaii football beat writer."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Lions NewsDetroit Lions NotesDetroit Lions AnalysisDetroit Lions TransactionsDetroit Lions Game RecapsNFL Draft5 QuestionsNFL Draft ProfilesGetting to know Jahlani Tavai with Hawaii Warrior WorldNew http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-kenny-golladay-jersey ,105commentsWho is Jahlani Tavai? We find out with help from a Hawaii football beat writer.EDTShareTweetShareShareGetting to know Jahlani Tavai with Hawaii Warrior WorldStephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY SportsThe second round was quite the round for Lions fans. They had visions of sugar plums and Amani Oruwariye dancing in their heads. But they would not get sugar plums. They would not get Amani Oruwariye (yet). They got Hawaii linebacker Jahlani Tavai. They got to say “who?”Lions twitter exploded with displeasure. Everyone was sure of a few things. The Lions picked another bustThis was Teez Tabor all over againThis is Ikaika Alama-Francis all over againThe Lions don’t care what any of us thinkThe Lions could have got Tavai in the seventh roundAll of those things might be true. The fourth one is definitely true. The other four options might be proven wrong in the end. Who knows? I believe the most common knock on Tavai is that many hadn’t even heard of him at the time. Believe me, I hadn’t either. That’s why I needed to go find out more. So I went to Jeremy Reisman and asked him to send me to Hawaii to find out. He said sure, but he did not make with the plane ticket. So I wound up having to just send an email. I got in touch with Hawaii sports beat writer Stephen Tsai of Hawaii Warrior World and the Honolulu Star Advertiser. He started with some background info, noting that Tavai actually played rugby in high school and was recruited as a nose tackle by Hawaii, but 250 pounder never quite filled out weight wise. Tavai also had a pretty decent career at Hawaii playing all over the defense and special teams. “He had more than 100 tackles during his sophomore and junior years,” Tsai told us. “As a sophomore, he was mostly a rush end. He played middle linebacker as a junior. Last year, his senior season, UH went with a 4-2-5 alignment. Tavai played middle, outside linebacker, stand-up nose, edge setter and rush end. As a freshman Womens Calvin Johnson Jersey , he aligned as basically a rush end. In the 2015 regular-season finale, punter Rigo Sanchez (now with the Colts) had to take care of a family emergency in California. Tavai was used as a punter that game.”Looks like Tavai is something of a jack of all trades. But as far what he’ll do in Detroit, the belief is the Matt Patricia will use him in something of a Dont’a Hightower-like role. But there are, admittedly, some red flags. Jahlani is coming off a shoulder injury that required surgery, and he had a run in with police early in 2018. But no charges were filed and some argue Tavai actually did the right thing. “They were at a nightclub and a teammate of Jahlani got into an argument with another guy and that guy bumped into the teammate’s girlfriend,” Tsai explained. “The two went outside and began to fight and Jahlani removed the guy off his teammate and was arrested along with the two others. No charges were filed.” Lions general manager Bob Quinn noted that the team weighed the incident, but after talking with Tavai multiple times throughout the draft process, they had no concerns about it.“I think a lot of people in this room would’ve stepped in and tried to do the right thing as well,” Quinn said. “So, it was unfortunate. He made a mistake, and we are totally fine with him character wise Zach Zenner Jersey White , one thousand percent.”As far as strengths, Tsai says Tavai is a “a 250-pounder, and he can hit. As a junior, he had 89 runs stops in the tackle box. He also can help on the edge as a stand-up or hand-in-dirt pass rusher. He’s a very good open-field tackler.”But his weakness is that he doesn’t have very much cover experience due to Hawaii’s five defensive back scheme. That should cause a little worry since coverage skills is something the Lions linebacker who are already on the roster struggle with. It’s hard to know what Tavai will turn out to be for the Lions. What’s been confirmed over and over again is that he’s a great guy and a hard worker. There was clearly something about him that had the Lions excited on Friday night. We’ll have to wait to see what that is. You want versatility? You want run defending? You want Ed Oliver."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Lions NewsDetroit Lions NotesDetroit Lions AnalysisDetroit Lions TransactionsDetroit Lions Game RecapsNFL DraftDetroit Lions OpinionThe Detroit Lions should draft Houston DT Ed OliverNew,16commentsYou want versatility? You want run defending? You want Ed Oliver. EDTShareTweetShareShareThe Detroit Lions should draft Houston DT Ed OliverTommy Gilligan-USA TODAY SportsAs a fan of the NFL, it’s easy to get caught up in gaudy sack numbers and be hypnotized by flashy pass-rushing moves. But the NFL is all about subtlety and grunt work, especially in the trenches. So while a lot of my cohorts are busy drooling over one-trick-pony Brian Burns, I am here to tell you Houston’s defensive tackle Ed Oliver is the player you should be fantasizing about right now. Oliver has the potential to add his name to the genre-defining defensive tackles that have started to take over the NFL. Your Geno Atkins or Michael Bennetts or Mike Daniels, or, yes, Aaron Donalds of the world. Defense is starting to evolve, and quickness is the name of the game. If I were to ask you the two biggest things that this Detroit Lions coaching staff values in a defensive player Womens Matt Prater Jersey , what are the first two things that come to mind? Versatility and the ability to defend the run. There is no prospect in this entire draft class that can offer more in these categories than Ed Oliver. As a run defender—mind you, playing as an “undersized” nose tackle—Oliver has been unstoppable. Three straight years of 14.5 tackles for loss or more. But if PFF grades are your thing, take this snippet from the advanced analytics website.As for his ability to rush the pass, that was a little limited due to his use at Houston. Mostly used as a nose tackle in college, Oliver’s insane athleticism wasn’t given the opportunity to show itself enough. And let’s not kid ourselves, this dude’s athleticism is off the charts:And his versatility makes him an easy pick for Detroit at eight. The big question that seems to arise with Oliver is simply, “Where would he play in Detroit his first year?” My answer: wherever the hell you want to. As Lions Wire’s Erik Schlitt points out, he fits Bob Quinn’s athletic profile at five different positions: nose tackle, 3/5 technique DT, down defensive end, jack linebacker, and off-the-ball linebacker. Yes Womens Kerry Hyder Jersey , you read that right. Oliver fits the profile of an NFL linebacker, and he’s open to the idea of playing there, too:While Oliver may not technically be a “starter” in his rookie year, he’d certainly make an impact as a player you could use just about anywhere on any down. He’d be the Lions’ wild card in his first year, then give Detroit flexibility when contract talks start with players like Damon Harrison, A’Shawn Robinson or Devon Kennard. And Ed Oliver is just getting started. Some would say he was misused at Houston, who shoved him in a role that was hard for him to reach his full potential. Put Oliver with the Lions’ premier defensive line coaching staff who helped turn around A’Shawn’s career and has already made a star out of Da’Shawn Hand, and, oh boy, you have yourself a freakin’ game-changer.