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Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft. The signal caller has the potential to be a star at the next level, but his injury history could make teams hesitant to select him with a first-round pick in April. He’s expected to make a full recovery from the hip injury that brought a premature end to his collegiate career, but could sit out for part or all of his rookie year as a precaution.
Is Tagovailoa worth a top 10 pick? DraftKings Sportsbook has odds on all potential landing spots.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins (-125) are the favorites to get Tagovailoa with the fifth pick in the draft. Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t a long-term solution to their quarterback problems, and neither is Josh Rosen. Miami has a ton of rebuilding to do and could be perfectly fine with Tagovailoa sitting for the 2020 season. After all, it has one of the worst offensive lines in football. Starting a young, injury-prone signal caller in a year where the team probably won’t go far wouldn’t make much sense. But the Dolphin could be prepared for him come 2021.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers (+300) pick sixth in the draft and could be enticed to choose Tagovailoa if they strikes out on landing Tom Brady. Even still, Los Angeles isn’t a rebuilding team like Miami. It has tons of talent on both sides of the ball and could have a competitive year with the right player under center. Justin Herbert or the rapidly rising Jordan Love could win out over Tagovailoa because of their health. They both might be safer options to knock off Tyrod Taylor should things go off the rails like they did when he was with the Cleveland Browns.
Washington
Washington (+500) has been linked to Ohio State’s Chase Young, as it just selected Dwayne Haskins in last season’s draft. Haskins is the presumptive starter and struggled behind a subpar offensive line. Alex Smith hopes to return to the NFL after sitting out all of last season because of a compound leg fracture, and Colt McCoy’s future is still up in the air. It would make more sense to have a dependable option to pair with Haskins, rather than Tagovailoa. The second overall pick is a heft price to pay one season after selecting a signal caller in the first round.
Carolina Panthers
News surfaced Tuesday that the Panthers (+1400) are seeking trades for Cam Newton. They have two young quarterbacks in Will Grier and Kyle Allen who won’t lead Carolina from the bottom of the NFC South anytime soon. The Panthers’ seventh overall pick is a good spot to get a signal caller, and they might have no choice but to go with Tagovailoa if he slips that far back. Carolina does have several other needs — especially on the defensive end. However, stashing an elite passer for while the team rebuilds could be ideal for the franchise’s long term plan.
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