Teez Tabor to Lions: Twitter Reacts as CB Is Selected in 2017 NFL Draft

Former Florida cornerback Teez Tabor was selected with the 53rd pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2017 NFL draft, giving the team an exciting cornerback prospect. 

But Tabor isn't without question marks, and his pick was met with an array of opinions.

"

Great scheme for Teez Tabor

— Marcus Spears (@mspear96) April 29, 2017"

"

Welcome my guy let's get that work @_31Flavorz @CoachCollins

— Darius Slay (@_bigplayslay23) April 29, 2017"

One thing that can't be said of Tabor is that he lacks for confidence.

"I feel like I'm the best overall player in the draft, not just the best cornerback," he said at the NFL Scouting Combine, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com. "That's just the confidence I have in myself and my ability to play football."

And Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel believes in the young corner's upside:

But there are questions about Tabor's character and his ability to be a good teammate after his time spent at Florida, as Goodbread noted:

"

The former Florida cornerback acknowledged both a failed and a skipped drug test early in his Gators career, and said his history of trouble and suspensions is all NFL clubs really want to talk about in their interviews with him at the combine.

'(I want teams to know) that I'm a changed young man. A lot of these teams, they have a report on me, about my past. ... I just had some growing pains when I was younger. We all make mistakes in life, but it's never really a mistake unless you make it two times,' Tabor said. 'I don't feel like I made the same mistake twice.'

Perhaps not, but he's made his share of them. Another incident NFL teams will ask about: his suspension over a reported scuffle with a teammate during fall camp last year. By itself, that might not have been a big deal to NFL clubs, but as part of a larger pattern of problems, the concern is more real. 

"

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report had his own concerns in that regard:

Thompson offered a different perspective:

"

Tabor always has been a well-expressed, sensitive young man. Had some missteps at UF, but seems to have grown up. Hope he does well. https://t.co/PRtpj7yjGw

— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) January 5, 2017"

Tabor's disappointing performance at the NFL Scouting Combine also raised questions about his upside. Bucky Brooks of NFL.com noted:

"

The Gators' CB1 arrived in Indy amid questions regarding his speed, quickness and technique, and he did little to alleviate those concerns. Tabor not only clocked a pedestrian 40-yard dash time (4.62 seconds), but he didn't look smooth or fluid in drills. From his ragged turns and transitions to his lackluster burst in the W-drill, Tabor certainly didn't impress scouts with his movement skills.

"

And another scout told Greg A. Bedard of SI.com: "Didn't run well or look very fluid in drills, and the interviews didn't go great either." 

Those are the negatives. But Tabor also brings plenty of positives to the table.

He finished his Florida career with nine interceptions, a strong number. As Lance Zierlein of NFL.com noted: "He is a pure cover corner with the ability to pattern match around the field." 

Tabor's top-end speed isn't ideal, but he has good size (6'0" and 199 pounds) and quickness for the position. His instincts are solid as well. Todd McShay of ESPN called him a "smooth mover," while Miller added Tabor has "excellent ball skills."

The question, then, isn't whether Tabor can play, but rather whether he'll ever play at an elite level or simply be another guy in the NFL. And for many teams, the other question was what type of teammate and guy off the field he would be.

So Tabor has a lot of questions left to address. Detroit has bet on the belief that it'll like the answers.

The Lions needed to add more depth in the secondary. Matt Claassen of Pro Football Focus ranked Detroit's secondary 18th in the NFL last season, noting players not named Glover Quin, Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson and Tavon Wilson who "played at least 60 snaps all earned below-average coverage grades."

Tabor's slow workout times did knock his stock down, but his consistently high level of production against SEC competition indicates there is more to work with than perhaps he showed in shorts and a T-shirt.