Patriots reportedly sign defensive lineman Justus Tavai, brother of linebacker Jahlani Tavai
FOXBORO -- The Patriots are big fans of linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who enjoyed a breakout season for the team in 2022. They're hoping to enjoy the same success with Tavai's younger brother, Justus, whom New England reportedly signed on Thursday.
The Pats are reportedly bringing in Justus, a defensive tackle who went undrafted out of San Diego State University, after a successful tryout. Doug Kyed of A to Z Sports was first to report New England's intentions to bring another Tavai into the fold.
Sources: The #Patriots are signing San Diego State UDFA DT Justus Tavai to fill their 90-man roster after a successful tryout.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) May 18, 2023
Tavai's brother, Jahlani, is a Patriots linebacker.
Justus, who stands at 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, played three seasons at Hawaii before transferring to SDSU last year. He registered 3.5 sacks and five tackles for loss over 11 games with the Aztecs in 2022, and also picked off a pass. In his three seasons with Hawaii, Tavai had four sacks and 10 tackles for loss over 19 games.
He'll likely compete for a depth spot along New England's defensive line during training camp.
There is another Tavai brother too, Jonah, who signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent last month.
Last season, Jahlani sat down with WBZ-TV and discussed how football runs in his family. Now he'll get to share the locker room in New England with his younger brother.