2020 NFL Draft: Will Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate move to wide receiver?
2020 NFL Draft prospect Khalil Tate may be asked to move from the quarterback position to wide receiver.
The 2020 NFL Draft is going to be stocked with interesting players at the quarterback position. Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert will likely shine at the top, while guys like Jake Fromm, Jacob Eason and Jordan Love could easily create some first-round buzz. With a strong senior season at Arizona, Khalil Tate could get into the quarterback mix, but he has a long way to go.
Tate has elite physical gifts at the quarterback position. He possesses a strong throwing arm and is an incredibly mobile and athletic player who consistently make plays with his legs. That being said, Tate has spotty accuracy and lacks the necessary mechanics and pocket awareness to be an NFL quarterback. His weaknesses can certainly be improved on this season, but it still may not be enough.
On the Stick to Football podcast, Bleacher Report’s Connor Rogers talked about a possible position change for Tate. While I do not want to give up on him as a quarterback prospect, this would certainly be an interesting scenario.
“I’ve already asked around a couple of teams, Khalil Tate might have to make a move (to wide receiver),” Rogers said. “Every couple of years you get a guy, if he wants to play at the next level (Braxton Miller), teams are going to ask him to move. And teams are going to look at Khalil Tate and love his character makeup, the kind of football player he is, the kind of athleticism he has. It wouldn’t shock me if that’s his long-term future after college.”
Tate certainly has the speed and athleticism to compete at wide receiver, and at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, he has the size. He is a smart player who would know where to be and how to get open for his quarterback.
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How Tate can run routes and catch the ball is a complete unknown, but his upside at wide receiver at the next level could be for real. If he can clean up his game a bit in his senior season, Tate could be an interesting quarterback prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft. That being said, if we see more of the same struggles as we did last season, a switch to wide receiver would probably be for the best.