Tahir Whitehead to Lions: Video Highlights, Analysis and Scouting Report

Tahir Whitehead was a two-year starter in the Big East who managed to make a name for himself as a prospect who consistently showed solid improvement.

Prior to committing to Temple, Whitehead played safety, running back, receiver and tight end at his New Jersey prep school, and in his freshman year with the Owls in 2008, he played in all 12 games and had seven tackles. In 2009, he again played in every game and had 30 tackles, and by his junior year, he'd earned the right to start in eight games, finishing with 56 tackles. In his senior season, he started in 12 games, finishing with 70 tackles and 5.0 sacks.

Throughout his career, Whitehead had seven forced fumbles and one interception. His performance at the combine was decent: He ran a 4.70 40-yard dash, a  4.37 shuttle and displayed a 37.0 vertical jump.

What Whitehead Brings to Team

He's an experienced linebacker who started for two years and achieved all-conference honors, and he showed steady improvement, particularly over his final two years in the NCAA. He has big hands and uses them nicely to get himself free, and he's an aggressive pursuer. Whitehead never shies away from contact and always plays hard, and at times, he's shown the potential to be a powerful blitzer.

Where he shows some weaknesses are in his size—he's about 6'1" and 233 pounds—but he's been described as a hardworking overachiever who will always put in the time to improve in order to get to where he needs to be.

What Experts are Saying

ESPN.com's draft experts rate Whitehead as an average weakside linebacker prospect. He doesn't have elite playmaking instincts against the run, but his instincts as a pass rusher are above average. He clogs up the throwing lanes with his long arms and big hands once the quarterback is about to throw, but he really needs to upgrade his upper-body strength and must work hard to avoid being locked up by bigger blockers.

SI.com's draft experts agree that Whitehead has progressed over the last two years, and he's a disciplined player who does a nice job changing direction without losing any momentum. His range is good and he can go sideline to sideline, but again, his instincts—particularly against the run—need improvement. 

Rookie Impact

Because of his speed and his athleticism, Whitehead can be expected to earn a roster spot as a backup weakside linebacker, and he can be a significant contributor on special teams.

Pick Analysis

Detroit picked itself up a project here.