When the 2019 season season started, no one ever imagined that Tua Tagovailoa would’ve endured a season ending injury, Alabama wouldn’t make it to the CFB Playoff, and that the coronavirus would’ve taken the world by storm. But here we are.
Only a few weeks away from the start of the 2020 NFL Draft and so many questions still remain, including where will Tua end up?
Over the past few months, many mock drafts have had him going in the top 5, majority of them saying the Dolphins will draft him. But will they?
Since the coronavirus, not only were pro-days cancelled, but so were in-person visits, which means teams never had a chance to visit with Tua in person since the Combine, and they were never able to see him at a pro-day.
According to NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller, Tua Tagovailoa’s draft stock could take a hit due to his past with injuries and unknowns.
Simply put, Miller sees that multiple teams now prefer Justin Herbert over Tagovailoa because there are non issues or questions with injuries.
But even NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci had the same opinion in an interview with NFL Now:
“I’ve had Tua No. 2 for a long time, I love the kid … but as I get closer and I keep thinking deeper with this, the dislocated hip injury (that required late-November surgery) — he’s healthy now, but he hasn’t taken a snap. So we start talking about the other guy, Justin Herbert from Oregon, there’s a lot of positive things about him. I’m not sure if I’d put him in the second tier. I think I’d put him up in the first tier because there’s a debate, in my mind, if Tua would go second because of those health reasons.
Keep in mind, Justin Herbert’s a 6-6 quarterback — he runs a 4-6-8. This guy can run and he’s got a lot of rushing yards. He’s a smart guy. He’s got the highest Wonderlic score of all the quarterbacks in this draft, OK? There’s something to be said about smarts and the William Campbell Trophy. That’s something (Jeremiah) and I would never win because that’s the best scholar-athlete in the country. So Justin Herbert is a guy that I think has to have some consideration for that No. 2 pick at quarterback because he’s got the size and speed and smarts and wits and all those kinds of things I’m telling you about.”
But Mariucci also had this to say:
“I would just add one thing on (Herbert vs. Tagovailoa) … I want to see (Herbert) just cut it loose and be a little more free, see,” Jeremiah said. “And that’s why putting Tua, the more instinctive, natural player and that’s why I have a little bit of a gap between those two.”
There’s still time for Tagovailoa to create confidence in teams as he continues to release videos, but this is certainly concerning.
Will teams pick Herbert, a safe choice due to lack of injuries? Or will there be a team (Miami for example) who is willing to take a chance on Tagovailoa early in the first round?
For the season, Tagovailoa threw for 2,840 yards, 33 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. In his career at Alabama, Tagovailoa racked up 7,442 yards passing, 87 TDs, and 11 INTs.
The 2020 NFL Draft will be held from April 23-25.
Roll Tide Wire will keep you up to date on the very latest.
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