Tabor tries to wow NFL scouts
GAINESVILLE — Jalen Tabor wants NFL teams to put down the stopwatches and focus on what’s important.
The loquacious and confident cornerback acted unfazed following another subpar showing in the 40-yard dash, this time Tuesday at the Florida Gators pro day.
NFL decision-makers might feel differently, and instead see Tabor’s stock plummeting. To them, he has this advice.
“Just press play,” the 21-year-old said, with a smile. “You know what I mean?”
The tape does not lie, Tabor insists.
Tabor better hope NFL teams are buying. Otherwise, the past two months have cost him potentially millions of dollars.
Tabor’s play at UF seemingly positioned him to be a top-15 selection next month. The past two seasons, he totaled 20 pass break-ups and eight interceptions, including three pick-sixes, to earn first-team All-SEC honors.
But since Tabor left school early for the NFL, he has given teams plenty of reasons for pause.
Tabor stumbled to a 4.62-second 40-yard dash time March 6 at the NFL Scouting Combine. Looking to improve Tuesday, Tabor ran in the 4.7s — two-tenths to four-tenths of a second slower than the top cornerbacks in a draft class deep at the position.
Tabor’s 32-inch vertical leap and nine bench press repetitions with 225 pounds did not help his cause, either.
Tabor acknowledged his testing might scare off some teams, but he hopes coaches and general managers value what he offers.
“I’m not a track guy,” he said. “If we was trying out for the Olympics, I wouldn’t be here. The thing is we’re going to the NFL. I’m a good football player.
“When it comes 53 yards this way and 120 yards this way, I’m the best.”
The 6-foot, 199-pound Tabor’s size, instincts and ball skills are special and help negate a lack of straight-line speed, his teammates insist.
“He’s very instinctive, very smart,” fellow cornerback Quincy Wilson said. “He’s knows what’s coming before it happens.”
Quarterback Austin Appleby has experienced Tabor’s anticipation first hand.
“That guy’s fast when the ball’s in the air,” Appleby said.
While Tabor struggled Tuesday, Wilson, Appleby and other former UF teammates looked to impress.
New England Patriots five-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick headlined a group of around 30 NFL decision-makers in Gainesville.
“Think about it: I was in Madison Square Garden on Sunday and [talking with] Bill Belichick on Tuesday,” Gators coach Jim McElwain said. “That’s pretty cool.”
Linebacker Jarrad Davis had an even better day than his former head coach.
Davis said he just recently fully recovered from the ankle injury that hampered him for three games and sidelined him for four. On Tuesday, the 6-foot-2, 238-pound Davis was the star of UF’s pro day.
Davis ran the 40 in a personal-best 4.56 seconds, had a standing broad jump of 10 feet, 9 inches and a vertical leap of 38.5 inches.
“I came out here with the mindset of coming out and showing everybody I’m the same athlete I was before,” he said.