In May, Lions second-round pick Teez Tabor said that he expects to be 100 percent recovered from a pre-draft hamstring injury by the start of training camp.
Tabor appears to have made it most of the way to that point. The cornerback has been taking part in Organized Team Activities and had no problem staying with wide receiver Marvin Jones before picking off a pass from Matthew Stafford in Tuesday’s practice.
It was just one play, but it was a good sign for his health and a good way to quiet concerns about the slower than anticipated 40 time at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Tabor didn’t look slow at Florida and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin pointed to other attributes that have impressed him about the cornerback in his short time with the Lions.
“He has size and length, so he doesn’t get swallowed up by the bigger receivers,” Austin said, via MLive.com. “He’s able to get in there and really mess with them and get his hands on them and play with them a little bit. I know we’re not bumping this time of year, but there’s obviously a little bit of contact at some point. He does a really good job of getting his body in front of receivers and making it hard for them to get down the field.”
Tabor downplayed the interception while covering Jones, noting it was one success against several wins for Jones in their matchup and that it doesn’t change the fact that he has “a lot of work to do.” If he is able to get that work done, the rookie may find himself starting across from Darius Slay come September.