2020 NFL Draft: Tua Tagovailoa unlikely to fall further than No. 7 pick

Now that he has entered the 2020 NFL Draft, where will Tua Tagovailoa end up?

On Monday, former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa held a press conference to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft. Tua enters the 2020 NFL draft class as one of the clear top quarterbacks and a likely early first-round selection.

Tagovailoa is an incredibly talented quarterback prospect who had a fantastic college career. He has been one of the best college quarterbacks in recent memory and has obvious upside at the next level.

Unfortunately, Tua Tagovailoa suffered a dislocated hip late in his final season at Alabama, and that injury left his 2020 NFL draft status completely up in the air. A hip injury is something that can significantly affect mobility and cause doubt over his long-term ability. While we still do not know much about the current status of Tua’s hip, he is likely to make a full recovery and could be ready to start right away as a rookie.

Even if Tua has to sit out part of 2020, his long-term health status does not seem to be much in doubt.

Honestly, durability is really the only question mark in Tagovailoa’s game. He is an incredibly talented quarterback prospect who showed the ability to make plays in any situation. Tua is an extremely smart player who rarely makes a poor decision and he is also a relatively mobile quarterback who can improvise and make plays on the run.

On top of that, Tua Tagovailoa has a good arm, showing the ability to hit any throw on the field and push the ball into tight spaces with velocity if needed. Most importantly, Tagovailoa is an incredibly accurate passer who consistently puts the ball where it needs to be. He is accurate to all levels of the field and knows how to place the ball with touch if needed.

We know that Joe Burrow will likely be QB1 in the 2020 NFL draft class, but Tua will likely be right behind him. Based on the teams picking early, I do not see a scenario where Tagovailoa falls further than number seven.

Burrow is going first to the Cincinnati Bengals and Chase Young is probably going number two to the Washington Redskins. We can probably lock those in right now. The Detroit Lions and New York Giants pick three and four, and neither team is likely to take a quarterback. However, both the Lions and Giants are teams who could realistically consider trade-down options.

This is important because the next three teams on the clock (the Miami Dolphins at five, the Los Angeles Chargers at six and the Carolina Panthers at seven) all have potential needs at the quarterback position. If he is there at five, the Dolphins are going to think long and hard about bringing Tagovailoa into the mix. However, the Chargers and Panthers know this and could start conversations with the Lions or Giants about a trade up for the young quarterback.

No matter how this ends up shaking out, I would be shocked if Tua Tagovailoa were to slip past all three of those teams. Taking him is a bit of a risk, but nothing is more important for these franchises than finding a legitimate quarterback to build around. Tagovailoa has massive upside at the next level and will not fall further than the seventh pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.