Tabor in Prime Form at UF Pro Day Despite Slow 40
Tuesday, March 28, 2017 | Football, Scott Carter
Gators cornerback Teez Tabor remains totally himself and full of confidence through NFL Draft process.
The draft analysts were surprised. The bloggers immediately poked fun at Tabor's slower-than-expected time. The mock drafters dropped Tabor from the first round into the second or possibly third round.
Meanwhile, Tabor remained busy working out and visiting teams.
He arrived at Florida's Pro Day on Thursday his usual self, confident and unfazed by the outside chatter. For those who have watched Tabor play and covered him extensively, there was nothing noticeably different, even after the NFL Network clocked Tabor's Pro Day time in the 40 at 4.75 seconds.
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said the dip in Tabor's time will undoubtedly raise more eyebrows for those who pick apart a player until there's no more meat on the bone to analyze before the draft.
"Talk about a polarizing conversation,'' Mayock said on-air. "He is going to slide a little bit but it's going to be a great conversation going forward."
Gators head coach Jim McElwain stressed that whatever doubts NFL personnel have about Tabor's speed, their concerns should be eased after watching film Tabor's three seasons at UF.
"You know, it's interesting. Even in talking to these guys [NFL personnel], it's about what you put on film. Ultimately, all these drills do is either possibly confirm or put some things into it,'' McElwain said. "Guys, he plays at a fast, fast level.
"And you guys that have covered us, I don't know if he's ever been beaten and he's chased guys down when he's had to. On a double-move here and there, he might have got beaten, but at the same time, he plays on film and puts on film that the speed is not an issue. And I think that's exactly what a lot of these guys have talked about."
Tabor is undoubtedly one of the draft's most interesting prospects. He had an exceptional college career based on advanced pass-coverage metrics and earned All-American honors. And yet in the frenzy of hot takes and over analyzing that is a trademark leading up to the draft, his slow 40-times have created doubt about his potential.
In a session with the media after his drills Tuesday, Tabor was Tabor. He told it like it is and showed no real concern over his draft stock plummeting despite what others might say.
Here is Tabor's Q&A with reporters after his workout:
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Q: Do you feel like you improved your draft stock from the combine?
A: It is what it is. I mean, it's not going to be my loss if you pass on me. I'm going to be in this league for a long time. Somebody could lose their job if they pass on me, so I ain't mad at it.
Q: What about the shocking 40 times?
A: It is what it is. I ran as fast as I can run.
Q: Have you always been in that range?
A: I've been a 4.6 guy. But it's so shocking because you don't see it on film. That's the great thing about it. You see 4.3 guys and you're like 'he run 4.3? He's getting beat over the top every game, what are you doing?' So I run 4.6 but it's shocking to y'all because it doesn't show, it doesn't seem like that on film."
Q: Is tape everything over time?
A: Let me ask you that question: If you was hiring somebody, would you make them do stuff that they wouldn't do on the job and then evaluate them? Or would you evaluate them on what they do on the job?
A: If they do and they pick the other guy, their loss. I can't be mad. It ain't my loss.
Q: What did you do today to improve your stock?
A: My short shuttle. Stop and start. That was pretty good. I think I got an inch higher from the vertical [than] at the combine. So did some pretty good drill work. I felt pretty good.
Q: What's next for you?
A: My whole April is booked up, so I'll be on the road until draft day.
Q: What are your plans for draft day?
A: I don't know yet. Probably just chill, watch it at the crib, don't do nothing much.
Q: What do you think of this cornerback class overall?
A: I feel like I'm at the top of the list. You watch the film, it's really, it speaks for itself.
Q: What's your main selling points to teams?
A: Just press play. I already did everything I could do. Just press play, you know what I mean? That's what I do. I'm pretty sure I've got more picks than a lot of the top guys. I'm pretty sure I've got more touchdowns, probably more touchdowns than they got picks. I don't get it. They say I'm slow, but I'm not getting beat that way and I'm beating people back this way.
Q: Is that your selling point, just press play?
A: Press play. They see it. But I just hope they don't make the wrong decision. It ain't gonna hurt me none.
Q: Do you think your confidence is attractive or turns some people off?
A: It's a little bit of both. I feel like you could look at it and be like 'this kid, he doesn't get it.' My film doesn't lie in high school. My film didn't lie in college. My film not going to lie in the NFL, that's just how I feel.
Q: How do you feel you interviewed at the combine?
A: I did well. Teams know that. Y'all helped me out through the process.
Q: What about the off-the-field stuff?
A: I just was up front. I made a couple of mistakes when I was young. Everybody was 18, 19, 20 years old at one point in time in their life, and everybody's done some things they wished they could have back, including myself. That's all I expressed to them, that I was young, immature decisions and I learned from it.
Q: You surprised how often that came up?
A: Not really. They paying a lot of money. If I was paying somebody a lot of money, I would want to know everything about that person and what I'm about to get into, too, so I'm not surprised at all.
Q: How did you do on the Wonderlic test?
A: I don't know. I probably did well, though. Probably 50, a high score.
Q: Are you still convinced you're a first-round pick?
A: Uh, in my heart, I'm a first-round pick, I know I'm a first-round pick. But, you know, guys slide sometimes. Tom Brady went in the sixth round. Josh Norman fourth. Richard Sherman fifth. They first-round picks, though. They get paid like them. You see a lot of these guys, these top-flight guys who go out here and run 4.3, and they'll be out of the league in four years, you know what I'm saying? I'm in for the long run. This is minor. I'm trying to play ball.
Q: Why run the 40 today?
A: See if I could do a little bit better, but I didn't do a little bit better. I don't know. I can't explain it.
Q: Did you train really hard for the 40?
A: I tried, but at the end of the day, I ran as fast as I can and I jumped as high as i can. But when you turn on the film, that's what I'm good at. I might not be able to run fast or jump high, but I catch and run 'em back.
Q: What about Jarrad Davis saying your not a track guy?
A: Yeah, I'm not a track guy. If we was trying out for the Olympics, I wouldn't be here. The thing is we're going to the NFL. I'm catching picks and running back this way, jamming people at the line. So I'm a good football player. When it comes 53 yards this way and 120 yards this way, I'm the best. Now, you line me up, I might not beat you in the race, but reading routes and all that stuff, it's no question.
Q: What about tackling?
A: It could be a little bit better.
Q: Did you feel it was better as you developed here?
A: Yeah, just a willing to, knowing that I had to come in and help the team. In order to help the team, you've got to be able to tackle. You've got to be willing to throw yourself in there and sacrifice for the team, and that's what I wanted to do.
Q: Did you talk to any teams that aren't concerned about test numbers?
A: Oh, yeah, a lot of the teams told me they don't really care about the 40 numbers. They're going to pick a couple of guys probably before me and they're going to wish they picked me later on down the road.
Q: What about this being your last experience at Florida?
A: Oh, man, it was good just seeing all my brothers one last time. Coming out here in the indoor with this Gator uniform on, man, it was just ... three years went by so fast.
Q: What stands out most?
A: It was great. I had a bunch of ups and a bunch of downs, but I lived to fight another day.
