The majority of school’s pro days were put to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, that hasn’t stopped a handful of prospects from taking part in their own pseudo pro day where they do all the drills to showcase their skills for NFL evaluators.
Potential top-5 pick and former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was the latest to put a workout together.
This was an important opportunity for Tagovailoa to showcase himself to teams after he missed the chance to do so at the NFL Scouting Combine in February because he hadn’t yet completed his recovery after suffering a hip injury back in November.
Doctors cleared him for football activities on March 9, and his pro day was set for a month later.
Even though the worldwide crisis restrictions have thrown things off, Tagovailoa and his camp weren’t going to let that stop them from finally being able to show he is healthy and ready to go.
Tagovailoa went through a 75-throw workout Thursday at a private facility in Nashville, TN that was led by former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer.
Here's Tua's Pro Day footage obtained from an NFL team. Enjoy the thread. (1/7) pic.twitter.com/MnGlSEF7LC
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 10, 2020
Tua's Pro Day footage obtained from an NFL team (2/7) pic.twitter.com/QYsONcUMHb
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 10, 2020
Tua's Pro Day footage obtained from an NFL team (3/7) pic.twitter.com/KyZQxR5R18
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 10, 2020
Tua's Pro Day footage obtained from an NFL team. (4/7) pic.twitter.com/5bL0ApQgaD
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 10, 2020
Tua's Pro Day footage obtained from an NFL team (5/7) pic.twitter.com/T6lIhQ0PxZ
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 10, 2020
Tua's Pro Day footage obtained from an NFL team (6/7) pic.twitter.com/5YwiParK2N
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 10, 2020
Tua's Pro Day footage obtained from an NFL team (7/7) pic.twitter.com/BdMJHJUjNK
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 10, 2020
From the workout footage, his footwork was smooth, the ball popped off his hands with velocity and most importantly, his hip looked fine. Fatigue started to build up towards the end, but it was really promising to see Tagovailoa’s progress in a matter of months.
Despite the workout, there are still some that are doubting his health currently and long-term. But people in Tua’s camp believe that he’s fully recovered and the chances of the injury happening again are nearly nonexistent.
“His health is just fine,” Tagovailoa’s agent, Leigh Steinberg said. “There’s two doctors that have seen him, Dr. Lyle Cain, and Dr. Chip Routt, who performed the surgery. Both have said that he is healthy and he’ll be lively and ready to go for training camp and the likelihood of recurrence is very low.”
Tua has been working with former Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt during the pre-draft process. Whisenhunt believed that physically, he looked ready from the workout.
“I was impressed with his feel for the game and his knowledge of the game,” Whisenhunt said. “How he processes and what he is able to recall. That is one of the big things you look for. He is very accurate and throws a good ball. He knows where he wants to put it and can throw it into spots, even on the move.”
The Chargers possess the No. 6 overall selection in the upcoming draft, and they’re in a prime position to land the former Alabama product.