2020 NFL Draft: The #TankForTua movement might be over

After a nasty injury sustained versus Mississippi State, Tua Tagovailoa’s 2020 NFL Draft stock is now potentially in jeopardy.

The #TankForTua movement for the 2020 NFL Draft is over, at least for now.

Those are words we as fans and evaluators never thought we would hear, especially at this point in the year. What felt like such a sure thing has now crumbled right before our very eyes, and there’s nothing we can do about it.

The inciting incident for those hopeless lines occurred Saturday during the Alabama vs. Mississippi State game in which potential top 10 quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a brutal hip injury. Described by Mark Schlabach of ESPN as a dislocated hip, Tua was cited as “screaming in pain” as a product of the injury. Said injury came on a play where Tua tried to scramble away from two defenders but was sandwiched to the ground resulting in this injury.

Durability was one of the few concerns with Tua, and unfortunately, this new hip injury only exacerbates that concern. Tua had previously been dealing with a nagging ankle problem from last season. That injury carried over to this season when hurt it again on Oct. 19 when Alabama played Tennessee. Tua received what is known as a “tightrope” procedure on his ankle which allowed him to play against LSU.

This injury could be a crushing blow to his pro-career, not to mention his overall draft stock. Even if he can still play, such an injury may push him out of the first round of the 2020 NFL draft entirely. As documented in the past, players who were once considered top 10 locks but sustained a major injury often fall dramatically.

A recent example would be Jaylon Smith in 2016, who suffered severe nerve damage to his knee. People questioned whether he would be able to walk again let alone play football. Luckily for both Smith and us, he hasn’t seen any major injuries since then.

While that could inspiring to some, one has to question how well Tua’s hip will hold up at the professional providing that he can still play. A team would need to build a more than solid offensive line around him to have a modicum of a chance that he won’t re-injure his hip.

Although injury history is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, Tagovailoa is an otherworldly talent who is very draftable in my eyes. While he may not be drafted very highly now, which will anger some fans, Tua will still find a place wherever he is drafted.

But for right now, instead of worrying about his 2020 NFL draft stock, let’s allow Tua to heal both physically and mentally in the hopes that he comes back better than ever.