Tua Tagovailoa NFL Draft: Alabama QB Could Be No. 1 Pick

Tua NFL Draft

Getty Alabma's Tua Tagovailoa is the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

The race for the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft appears to be between Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Ohio State defensive end Chase Young. There is still plenty of time for things to change before the NFL draft, but Tagovailoa is the early favorite to be the first quarterback selected.

Nick Saban has helped produce plenty of NFL talent at Alabama, but there have not been many high-caliber quarterbacks that were top pro prospects during his tenure. Tagovailoa is likely the best Alabama quarterback prospect we have seen since Joe Namath. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Tagovailoa as the No. 2 ranked prospect behind Young.

Tagovailoa has been extremely impressive the last two seasons (70-to-8 TD-to-INT ratio), showing the anticipation and passing twitch to be a high-level NFL quarterback. However, injuries have also plagued him the past two years and durability will be a key factor in his final evaluation.

Whether Young or Tagovailoa goes No. 1 likely depends on who lands the top selection. Fans of bottom-dwelling teams have even been embracing the “Tank for Tua” mantra.


Injury Concerns Is the One Red Flag for Tagovailoa

The only major red flag when it comes to Tagovailoa’s NFL evaluation is injuries. For the second straight season, Tagovailoa sustained an ankle injury and now has had surgery on both ankles in a one-year timespan. Saban was a bit critical of his quarterback noting that Tagovailoa could have avoided the injury against Tennessee by throwing the ball away.

“You hate to take his competitive spirit away from him, but he will not give up on a play,” Saban explained to ESPN. “He should have never gotten hurt on the play he got hurt on. I told him, ‘Throw the ball away. You can’t be Superman. You can’t be trying to make plays that aren’t there.’ He just won’t give up on a play, which you love that competitive spirit. But we also want him to make smart decisions.”

If a team is using a high draft pick on Tagovailoa, they want to be sure about his durability. Tagovailoa’s medical checkup at the NFL combine is going to be a much bigger deal for the Alabama quarterback than any drill.


Tagovailoa Is the Favorite to Be the Top Quarterback Selected in the 2020 NFL Draft

Tagovailoa’s chances of being selected with the No. 1 pick can be debated, but one thing appears fairly clear is that he is likely to be the first quarterback selected in the draft. Oregon’s Justin Herbert, LSU’s Joe Burrow, Utah State’s Jordan Love and Georgia’s Jake Fromm are among the other quarterbacks being considered as top prospects.

Tagovailoa checks all the boxes for what NFL teams are looking for in a modern quarterback. Prior to his injury, Tagovailoa was completing more than 74 percent of his passes. The Alabama quarterback rarely makes mistakes as his 27 touchdowns compared to two interceptions show. Tagovailoa is far from Lamar Jackson, but the Alabama quarterback can still use his legs when necessary.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller has Tagovailoa as his No. 3 ranked player and top quarterback prospect. Miller cited Tagovailoa’s accuracy and decision making as big reasons NFL teams like what they see from the Alabama quarterback.

Tagovailoa doesn’t trend on Twitter with jaw-dropping runs or dazzling plays; he just wins and plays smart, consistent football. That’s why he’s not moving off his No. 1 spot in the position group.