Jonah Tavai NFL Draft Overview
Position: Defensive Tackle/Interior Defensive Lineman
Height: 6′-0″
Weight: 290 pounds
School: San Diego State
2023 NFL Draft: Jonah Tavai Scouting Report
Jonah Tavai began his college football career in 2018 at El Camino College (CA). He played in 10 of the Warriors 12 games, making a total of 34 tackles (13 solo, 21 assisted) including one and a half sacks. After the season, Tavai entered the transfer portal and transferred to San Diego State University. In his first season with the Aztecs, in 2019, Tavai played in nine of San Diego State’s 13 games, amassing 15 tackles (seven solo, eight assisted), including one and a half sacks. In his second season (the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season), Tavai played in all eight of the Aztecs games, totaling 25 tackles (15 solo, 10 assisted), including three and a half sacks, and forcing a fumble. Tavai became a starter on the defensive line in his third season with the Aztecs, starting all 14 games. He had 47 tackles (23 solo, 24 assisted), including, an incredible eight and a half sacks, and defending against a pass. Tavai finished his career at San Diego State in 2022. He had a monster season, in which he made a career-high 59 tackles (31 solo, 28 assisted), including a mind-blowing 10.5 sacks.
Strengths
- Tenacious and aggressive style of play;
- Is athletic enough to rush or drop back in coverage;
- Exceptional striking hands that jar and shock opponents;
- Frequently has his eyes in the backfield even when engaged with an opponent;
- Has the ability to blow up tight ends at the line of scrimmage.
Weaknesses
- Has to get off his block more quickly and efficiently;
- Is coming off a shoulder injury that kept him from playing in the Senior Bowl and from participating in the NFL Combine;
- Has difficulty when needing to change direction.
- Has good, but average, speed;
- Does not use his biomechanics correctly, which would allow him to play up to his full potential.
NFL Comparison: A shorter, more athletic Breiden Fehoko
Teams With Need At Position: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints
Projection: Rounds 6-7
Bottom Line on Jonah Tavai
Jonah Tavai would likely have been a higher-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, however, the shoulder injury that derailed his Senior Bowl appearance and kept him from participating in the NFL Combine, is the likely culprit as to why Tavai will be a sixth or seventh-round pick. Aside from his shoulder injury, Tavai has what appear to be easily fixable weaknesses. He does fail to get off of his block in a timely and efficient manner and has difficulty shifting his momentum especially when he has to change direction, which could be costly against, reverse plays, or a running back who likes to cut back or has the skills to easily juke Tavai’s pursuit.
He has adequate speed, but not NFL-ready speed. The biggest area that Tavai will need to work to improve is utilizing his biomechanics better, especially when it comes to his explosiveness, which he consistently fails to utilize. On the plus side, he has many positive attributes that will translate to the next level. He is a tenacious, unrelenting, and aggressive player. He does have the athletic ability to get into the backfield, but also can drop into pass coverage, if necessary. He has NFL-caliber hands that will surprise defenders. He is also able to keep his eyes focused in the backfield, even when engaged with a defender. This is a big reason why he had 19 total sacks for the Aztecs in his final two seasons. He is also able to handle tight ends at the line of scrimmage with ease. A team who uses a pick on him in round six or round seven is getting a steal, as long as his shoulder has fully healed, which is the big question when it comes to Tavai.
Main Photo: Steven Erler – USA TODAY Sports
