Over the second half of the season, we saw several players, especially on defense, turn their season around. Gareon Conley and Karl Joseph are two players who quickly come to mind as players who found their stride in the team’s final eight games.
One player that should be included in the “second-half” stars discussion is linebacker Tahir Whitehead. According to Pro Football Focus, Whitehead looked like a different player in the second half of the season, grading out as the 25th-ranked linebacker in the NFL as opposed to No. 91 in the first half of the season.
From Weeks 10-17, Whitehead totaled 69 tackles, four pass deflections, two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. He was all over the field and looked to be a dramatically improved player. Whitehead appeared to be more confident in his assignments and was just playing, rather than overthinking where he needed to be.
Heading into 2019, Whitehead is going to have to compete for a starting job with veterans Vontaze Burfict and Brandon Marshall. But if he plays anywhere near the level we saw in the second half of the season, it shouldn’t be a competition at all.
Look for Whitehead to continue his breakout campaign in his second full year in Paul Guenther’s defense.
