Who Should Draft Tua Tagovailoa?

The NFL draft is a little over a month away. Come April I will do my type of preview, where I pick players I like and dislike. But today I want to spend my time talking about Tua Tagovailoa.

First things first, Tua is a very, very, very good QB. He came in as a backup in a title game two years ago and won the game for Alabama. His pass in overtime was one of the most perfect throws I have ever seen. The fact that he took a sack earlier in that series, dusted himself off, and made that throw, that was when I knew he was a special football player.

Tua then comes back the next year, beats out Jalen Hurts as a starter and takes Alabama to another title game. This made his legend grow even further. But, the title game showed some flaws. Sure, it is not his fault that the Alabama defense gave up a million yards and tons of points. Still though, Tua got outplayed by a true freshman, and he looked a little overmatched when playing a defense that had pros on it.

He came back for this season, and he started like a house on fire. He was great. He looked like the Tua from two years ago. Then the minor injuries started. He missed a game here and there for knicks and bruises. He then suffered a pretty severe ankle sprain. Still, he came back, won a few important games and looked like he was going to be just fine.

Then Tua got brutally injured in an unimportant game during the regular season. I don't remember who Alabama was playing, or what game it was, but I remember after hearing about the injury I had two thoughts, uh oh, and why was he in there. Then I heard more and more about the injury, and the more news that came out, the worse it got for Tua. It appeared he had broken his hip. This is one of the worst injuries a football player can sustain. I immediately thought of Bo Jackson. Bo Jackson is one of my all time favorite athletes. He played two pro sports at All Star level. He was lightening in a bottle. He is a once in a generation talent. He is the type of player where the word "legend" is the only proper way to describe him. Tua suffered a very similar, if not the exact same injury. That injury ended Bo's career. He was never the same after that. Now, I know that Bo was a little older, and maybe more susceptible. But, no disrespect to Tua, Bo is a much, much, much better athlete than Tua could ever dream of being, and this injury did him in. I understand all the stories. The stuff about his injury is healing way better than expected, that he was crushing interviews at the combine, that he will be able to do drills starting March 9th, and he will have a pro day and that Washington, who is picking second, and took a QB in the first round last year, might draft him if he has a good pro day. I get all of that. I also have watched enough football to understand that these stories are leaked by people that will benefit from Tua being a high pick, and keeping his name in the news.

Again, Tua was, maybe still is, a great QB prospect. But, I would be so, so hesitant to take Tua anywhere in the first round. I spoke to my father earlier today and I told him that Tua needs to go to a team where he can sit, watch, practice and heal even more. I look at teams like New England or Indianapolis or even a spot like Tennessee. All these teams will provide him all the things I think he needs to be a starter level QB in the NFL. But, if a team like Miami or Washington or Cincinnati, a place where he will have to play immediately, it will doom him. I mean, this injury took out Bo Jackson. I cannot overstate enough how big a deal that is. Tua is great, but he is no Bo.

This injury is brutal, I feel for Tua that he has to deal with this, but if I were a GM, I would try to find any other player to take, especially in the first round, before I would take Tua. He has a long, long way to go before he is back to himself, if he ever gets back.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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