Recently-surfaced quotes from a source that may or may not have been present at the Senior Bowl make it seem like DeVonta Smith is not a fan of his former quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.
According to Albert Breer of the MMBQ, Smith was asked a very vague question, “Tua Tagovailoa or Mac Jones,” to which he responded “Jones.”
The source of Breer’s also mentions that his answer was “… bold and definitive about it.”
Now, social media believes Smith was taking shots at Tagovailoa, who is about to enter his second season as the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins and has received plenty of offseason critcism for his rookie performance.
Is it a jab at the 2020 No. 5 overall pick? An NFL draft smoke-screen? Just preference from the Heisman-winning wide receiver?
Tagovailoa started for the Crimson Tide in 2018 and 2019, where he threw 425 completions. Only 110 of those went to Smith, the others were dispersed among Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and Jaylen Waddle, all three of which either were not on the team, or did not serve a large role on the 2020 season.
With Jones at quarterback, Smith caught 117 of his 311 completions.
He also became the most decorated wide receiver in college football history while catching passes from Mac Jones.
So, for starters, let’s understand that Smith prefers the quarterback that made him the most successful. That makes sense.
Smith is now likely going to be the first or second wide receiver taken in the draft. His position is basically set, depending on how teams value him compared to Ja’marr Chase.
However, Jones’ draft position is still under review. Trevor Lawrence is the definite No. 1 overall pick, but there are a few other quarterbacks floating around the first round, Jones being one of them.
With Tagovailoa being such a highly praised quarterback in the 2020 draft class that really only consisted of himself, Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, there was not much to do as far as needing to “raise his draft value.”
Smith may be playing a game with NFL scouts, though. If Tagovailoa was so highly sought after, but the Heisman-winning wide receiver likes Jones more, then surely Jones is a talent that they all overlooked.
Could this be Smith’s way of giving Jones an additional boost before the 2021 NFL draft? Maybe, but that is all speculation.
Smith is tied to the Miami Dolphins at No. 3 overall, so there’s a chance Tagovailoa could try to change his mind once he gets to the league and starts catching passes from his form quarterback.