Before the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Mississippi State Bulldogs kicked off on Saturday, the thought of the Broncos drafting Tu’a Tagovailoa seemed like an impossibility.
Now, following the dislocated hip Tagovailoa suffered against the Bulldogs, it seems like a very real possibility.
Currently, the situation is clouded by unknowns. Namely, when will he be ready to play again, and will he be the same player when he does return?
The range in possible answers to that question is why no one knows where Tagovailoa could be drafted now. If the hip injury isn’t too severe and he could play by the end of the 2020 season, he may not see any sizable drop and the Dolphins could select him in the top five. If the hip injury is severe enough, Tagovailoa may never play in the NFL again, or at best be a shade of his former self, which could lead to a Jaylon Smith-esque drop.
Smith was viewed as a perfect linebacker prospect coming out of Notre Dame until a gruesome knee injury put his football career in doubt and dropped him to the second round.
So, let’s split the difference since we won’t know how the injury is looking until he starts rehab, and say Tagovailoa will miss all of the 2020 season but will be back to 100 percent before 2021. If that’s the case, should the Broncos consider the Crimson Tide superstar?
Yes, absolutely.
The Broncos have been in desperate need of an answer at the quarterback position for half a decade and outside of injury, Tagovailoa is one of the most sure-things at the position to come along during that span. There seems to be no end to what he does well.
He’s the most accurate passer to enter the draft in over the decade. Not only do his passes always seem to leap into his receiver’s hands in stride, as if driven by a powerful magnetic force, he’s also elite at putting touch on his passes, making his throws feathery soft.
Tu’a also runs the gambit on the intangibles you’d want to see in a quarterback. He reportedly has one of the best work ethics of anyone on the Alabama football team. He also has excellent leadership skills and his teammates love him, and his decision making and football IQ are good enough to make him a Day 1 starter if he were healthy.
He’s not an elite scrambler or runner like Lamar Jackson or Russell Wilson, but he has excellent pocket mobility and can make something happen with his legs if the play breaks down. His arm strength is nothing special, but it’s strong enough to play in the NFL.
The only red flag around Tagovailoa is health, but isn’t the risk worth the potential upside when he projects to be a more athletic Drew Brees?
When considering the possibility of the Broncos drafting Tagovailoa though, it’s fair to wonder what that would mean for Drew Lock. Lock would get to enter next season as the starter as Tagovailoa finishes rehabbing, and then the two would compete for the starting job.
If both players turn into legitimate starting quarterbacks, then the Broncos can flip whichever one they least prefer for a first-round pick and then some from a team in need.
On the other hand, if the Broncos don’t draft Tagovailoa and Lock ends up not panning out, the franchise’s rebuild will be set back yet another season.
When it comes to the Broncos drafting Tagovailoa or not, it seems like the greater risk lies in passing up the superstar quarterback.
