The limited experience and lack of production will concern teams. Tavis Malakius has just 41 career tackles on 1204 career snaps and one sack to show for his college career. The biggest issue with Malakius is that he’s gained 40 pounds while at UNLV, which they wanted him to gain to play one tech. What resulted was Malakius losing his athletic ability and overall performing underwhelmingly. He’s got a chance to redeem himself in the draft process, aiming to lose 25 pounds before his pro day.

Between his weight, his measurables, and his raw ability, there is tremendous upside to Malakius’ game. That being said, he is a couple of years away from even beginning to reach that potential. But if he develops some hand usage and gets down to 280-290, he has a chance to make an impact on a roster as a rotational player. 

CAMP REBEL: Senior Tavis Malakius talks about how well the defense is working together as a group. 🏈#BEaREBEL pic.twitter.com/cAOAOFhBPx

— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) August 18, 2022

Suffered a left labrum tear in the Wyoming game in 2019, in time for him to take a redshirt. Other than that, he has stayed healthy throughout his career. 

Tavis Malakius’ scouting report

Athletic Ability (45)

Athleticism: 15 

• Speed (2.5/7) – Very low end speed. Doesn’t have a lot of movement ability. 
• Lateral Quickness (4/8) – Doesn’t have a lot of twitch to his game. Doesn’t show a lot of lateral quickness, more of a north/south rusher. 

Strength/Power: 20 

• Upper Body Strength (5/7) – Solid upper body strength and wins with leverage. Very well built on that part of his frame. 
• Lower Body Strength (3/7) – Does not have the lower body that he needs to be successful. Loses a lot of those reps. 
• Brute Power (4/6) – Flashes brute power and has reps where he displays it very well. Other reps, he’s bullied around a bit. 

Explosion/Burst: 10 

• First Step Burst (2.5/5) – I really don’t like his first step. Flashed it when he was lighter, but lacks a lot of burst. 
• Explosion (2/5) – Lacks some necessary explosion. Doesn’t look like a very explosive athlete. 

Lineman Mechanics (20)

Containment: 10 

• Double Team Consistency (2/5) – Didn’t nearly demand double teams. Took 1v1’s almost exclusively. Struggled tremendously in double teams. 
• Double Team Win (1/5) – Doesn’t win double teams. Struggles tremendously in them. Typically overpowered in those situations.

Hand Technique: 10 

• Hand Placement (2/5) – Struggles to place his hands effectively to win leverage. Has no plan going into a rep. Limited arsenal of moves makes him a big project. 
• Hand Strength (3/5) – Decent hand strength, don’t see a lot consistently. Does have a good stiff arm. 

Defender Ability (30)

Tackling/Pursuit: 15

• Tackling Ability (5/8) – Tackling ability is alright, nothing special. Missed 18% of his tackle attempts last year. Tries to wrap up but it’s so hard for him to get into position to make it. Long limbs helps him impact run lanes. 
• Space Defending (1.5/3) – Not a defender that I want to see matched up in space right now. 
• Pursuit Angles (2/4) – Offers a little bit of pursuit ability. But struggles to get around. 

Instincts: 10 

• Recognition (2.5/5) – It’s hard to see what he recognizes, because he can’t move effectively. Isn’t often in position to make plays. 
• Natural Instincts (2/5) – Don’t see him showing many natural instincts. Struggles to get off blocks, struggles to position properly to make plays. 

Pass Rush Ability: 5

• Pass Rush Consistency (1/5) – Consistently not a factor as a pass rusher. Has one career sack and very few pressures. Part of that, I think, is how the staff had him bulk. 

Overall: (55) – UDFA