2020 NFL Mock Draft: What Happens if Tua Tagovailoa Falls?
Is there a chance that former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa falls in the 2020 NFL Draft because of injury concerns?
The feeling here is that's unlikely, and that whatever team ultimately drafts him may need to trade up to select him. However, when you consider that he had both ankles surgically repaired in college and dislocated his right hip last November, the possibility shouldn't be entirely discounted.
Imagine a scenario where the Miami Dolphins stay at pick No. 5 and select Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, rather than Tagovailoa. The Los Angeles Chargers could select Tagovailoa and have him sit behind Tyrod Taylor for a season, but what if they are the anonymous team with a top-10 pick that RADIO.COM NFL Insider Michael Lombardi alluded to having failed Tagovailoa's physical? If Tagovailoa makes it past pick No. 6, all bets are off.
Maybe the Jacksonville Jaguars would use pick No. 9 to select Tagovailoa. Injury concerns - and what is seemingly an earnest belief in Gardner Minshew, at least to some degree - may dissuade them, though. The Las Vegas Raiders might be in the same position with pick No. 12 - more willing to add around Derek Carr, knowing that if things don't work out in 2020, next year's draft class will likely include Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.
The Indianapolis Colts likely would have been a team interested in Tagovailoa or Herbert if they fell out of the top-10, but they instead traded their first-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers as part of a deal to land defensive lineman Deforest Buckner. And for whatever legitimate criticisms there may be of Jimmy Garoppolo, it would be hard to fathom the defending NFC Champion 49ers using the No. 13 overall pick on a quarterback.
Both the Dolphins and Raiders have multiple first-round picks, meaning even if they don't use their first selection on Tagovailoa, they could still ultimately land the southpaw if he falls out of the top 10. Or maybe there's a team we haven't considered - like the Atlanta Falcons at pick No. 16 - that could swoop in and select Tagovailoa if some previously assumed suitors get cold feet.
Again, the guess here is that all three of Joe Burrow, Herbert and Tagovailoa are selected in the top 10 picks of the 2020 NFL Draft. But with less than 10 days before the 2020 NFL Draft begins, the possibility of Tagovailoa's medical history scaring off teams is something that at least needs to be considered.
Here's the latest RADIO.COM Sports NFL Mock Draft:
