Tua Tagovailoa is in an interesting spot heading into the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Alabama quarterback not terribly long ago was viewed as the consensus No. 1 overall pick, but a nasty hip injury surely is going to impact the 21-year-old’s draft stock. It remains to be seen just how far Tagovailoa will drop, but if he’s still available late in the first round, NFL Media analyst Gil Brandt could see the Patriots taking a chance.
“Tom Brady’s future is the immediate concern in New England, but whether he’s on the roster in 2020 or not, it’s safe to say the Pats could use a quarterback, unless they really think that fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham has serious long-term upside,” Brand wrote. “Highly sought-after quarterback prospects tend not to fall to New England’s draft position; I wouldn’t expect a prospect like, say, Joe Burrow to still be on the board when the Pats’ turn comes around later in the first round. But Tagovailoa’s injury history might push the Nick Saban acolyte into the range of Saban’s former boss. Should Bill Belichick have a chance to land the quarterback who threw 87 touchdown passes against 11 picks for his good friend, I could see him changing his offense to accommodate Tagovailoa.”
Even with injury concerns, it’s tough to imagine Tagovailoa falling to the Patriots at No. 23. But in the unlikely event he does, it could be a smart play for New England. The franchise still could bring back Brady on a short-term deal, which would allow Tagovailoa to both fully recover and undergo NFL grooming.
Don’t tell this to Bart Scott, though. The former NFL linebacker believes the Detroit Lions should take Tagovailoa at No. 3 and then trade Matthew Stafford to New England.
