Although linebacker certainly doesn’t appear to be a position of need for the Seattle Seahawks, that has not stopped them from working out a handful of draft prospects at the position.
The latest is Hawaii draft hopeful Jahlani Tavai, who was seen working out in front of Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. in a post on Norton’s Instagram account.
Tavai missed a big chunk of his senior season, not to mention the Senior Bowl and the NFL combine, due to a shoulder injury. He is expected to be healthy and ready to participate in training camp, although the injury no doubt hurt his draft stock simply because teams did not get a chance to see how he would perform – something that is particularly important for players from smaller schools.
Tavai also has an arrest on his record stemming from an assault charge at a nightclub, which is also likely a deterrent for teams.
Still, Tavai is a big framed, physical linebacker prospect who demonstrated excellent aggressiveness and strong tackling form.
He lacks the top speed that coach Pete Carroll typically looks for in his linebackers, and may struggle in pass protection in the NFL.
However, Tavai is the kind of late-round draft prospect that could be appealing to Seattle, particularly if they believe they will be without Mychal Kendricks for all or part of the 2019 season.
