Getty Tua Tagovailoa fired up during the Orange Bowl.
Tua Tagovailoa’s presence has been palpable near the top of the NFL Draft heading into April, and the only question left to sort out is where the quarterback gets drafted when all is said and done.
Plenty of teams, from the Detroit Lions to the Miami Dolphins and perhaps even the Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers have been mentioned in the same breath with the quarterback. Now, though, there are finally some odds to put to use as it relates to who is favored to actually select him.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted a look at some new odds regarding where Tagovailoa is most likely to play in 2020 and who will be the team selecting him. As the odds from Caesars Sportsbook showed, the Lions and the Dolphins are currently the odds-on favorites to land Tagovailoa.
Obviously, after weeks of rumor and conjecture, this is not a surprise to see Detroit and Miami near the top. Most figure between picks No. 3 and No. 5, Tagovailoa will come off the board. Interestingly, the Chargers with the No. 7 pick aren’t trailing in the odds by all that much at 5-2. They might have to trade up to ensure themselves a shot at Tagovailoa if they love him, however.
For now, though, most think either Detroit or Miami will take the plunge on the player with high upside when all is said and done.
ESPN NFL Analyst Wants Lions Drafting Tua Tagovailoa
Detroit must take Tua Tagovailoa according to ESPN’s Bart Scott and start over by dealing Matthew Stafford. It’s the only way Scott sees the team moving forward and crafting a brighter future for themselves.
“I think about that sweet spot. The sweet spot for me is the third pick with the Detroit Lions,” Scott recently said on Get Up. “I don’t see how the Detroit Lions let Tua Tagovailoa get past them.”
According to Scott, who’s said before that Stafford should be on the move via trade this offseason, the timing is perfect for the Lions to start over with a talented young player in Tagovailoa.
“They understand they have had Matthew Stafford. He’s only 31 years old. We’ve seen what it looks like to have Stafford for 11 years. You’re not going to win a Super Bowl with him,” Scott said. “If you’re a struggling coach in this league, you want to press the reset button. You can’t let a guy with arm talent and vision get away. This is your opportunity to get a young gun, start off young, and really be able to trade Matthew Stafford to get some picks to start over with a young core.”
As Scott said, depth should be the first order of business for the Lions, who need to build a more complete team.
“What you need in Detroit is depth, you need talent. The only way you’re going to get talent is by getting rid of your biggest chip, which is Matthew Stafford,” he said.
As it stands now, the Lions have seven draft picks with which to work with this season, including a pair in the fifth round. Adding to that would certainly help them build things up and improve the depth. They could also do this by not trading away Stafford and merely dealing down from their top pick.
Why Lions Could Take Tua Tagovailoa
Could the Lions take the plunge for the pick when all is said and done? According to one top NFL analyst, the answer is yes. According to ESPN’s Mel Kiper, if everything checks out health wise with Tagovailoa, the Lions could decide to select the quarterback with their pick.
Mel Kiper on ESPN just now: “If there are favorable medical reports on Tua, the Lions could pick him at #3 overall.”
Naturally, this could be a smokescreen given draft season is typically lying season. Still, there is no discounting the teams potential need for a quarterback.
Detroit was forced to go with Jeff Driskel and later David Blough as quarterbacks after Matthew Stafford’s injury. Drafting a young quarterback could be considered an important step for the team, but the Lions could also sign a veteran backup instead of drafting a talent like Tagovailoa who could make a case to start faster.
Stafford is still entrenched, so it will be fascinating to see what path Detroit decides to take. For now, they are seen as the clubhouse favorites along with Miami to draft the player.
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