The 2020 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, which means more scouting reports, more mock drafts and even more rumors.
It’s no secret that LSU’s Heisman-winning quarterback Joe Burrow will most likely be going to the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 1 overall pick, but what about Alabama’s star quarterback?
For most of the 2019 college football regular season Tua Tagovailoa was the heavy favorite to be the No. 1 overall selection. However, a couple of injuries that he sustained throughout the season has made NFL teams wary of his health.
While Burrow can be considered a lock to be the first pick, Tagovailoa is the next best quarterback leading into the draft. It is believed that Alabama’s Heisman-finalist quarterback will be taken at No. 5 overall to the Miami Dolphins.
Teams that lie between Cincinnati and Miami are the Washington Redskins, the Detroit and the New York Giants, all teams that have bigger needs other than quarterbacks this early in the draft.
The Miami Dolphins have a sticky situation in their quarterback room, and many believe that Tagovailoa will be taking his talents to South Beach to resolve their issues.
The Dolphins currently have the traveling-veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick under contract for one more season, and they also have former top-quarterback prospect, Josh Rosen.
The analysts and the fans may think it is a lock for Miami to take Tagovailoa, but the franchise’s general manager, Chris Grier, wants the public to know that’s not the case.
“To say one player was attached to us, you can’t control what fans and people in the media say,” Grier Told the media in Mobile ahead of the Senior Bowl. “So there’s no pressure for us. The pressure for us is to find the right guy to be the quarterback for the Dolphins, whether it’s him or someone else. That’s the pressure. Finding the right guy to lead the organization.”
In this quote, one thing stands out the most. Grier states the Dolphins are definitely taking a quarterback with their No. 5 overall pick, and it may not be Tagovailoa.
Whether this is just talk to make it seem like the Dolphins are still unsure about their pick or if this is a genuine depiction of the Dolphins’ front office thought process leading up to the draft, we will never know.
Other quarterbacks that are projected to go first round are Jordan Love of Utah State, Justin Herbert of Oregon and Jacob Eason of Washington.
Of all the aforementioned quarterbacks, I can’t see any of them being selected before Tagovailoa.
If the Dolphins hold true to Griers’ statement of them drafting a quarterback, it’s safe to say that they will be picking Tagovailoa at No. 5, but we won’t know for sure until April 23 when the 2020 NFL Draft kicks off in Las Vegas.
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