Getty Image / Todd Kirkland
Tua Tagovailoa has bitten by the injury bug quite a few times during his time at Alabama and after his latest, rather brutal hip dislocation against Mississippi State it has people questioning whether or not his NFL Draft stock has been affected.
While he’s yet to officially declare for the 2020 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. still believes that he’ll be a first-round pick and his name will actually be called earlier than when most people think.
Kiper answered the question of the chances that he may fall outside of the first-round, and this was his response:
Slim to none — if there are no setbacks in his rehab from his hip injury. As you said, Todd, Tagovailoa is just too gifted. You’re talking about the best pure passer in this class. Could he drop to the middle of the first round because of the injury? Yes. But he’s going to go earlier than most people think. And some team is going to find its quarterback of the future.
While Joe Burrow will be the first quarterback taken in the 2020 NFL Draft, Tagovailoa will likely be the second off the board. It’s a unique situation for the Alabama quarterback, however, with his unique injury that will also bring a unique rehab process with it.
Stephania Bell, ESPN’s injury specialist, said that “it is critical, however, that Tagovailoa follow the post-operative guidelines, including what could be most challenging: rest. As the fracture heals in the early phase, it is essential not to overload the hip, making the first six weeks of rehab particularly tough for an athlete who constantly wants to push himself.”
The 2020 NFL Draft will take place in Paradise, Nevada beginning on April 23rd. Tagovailoa has until January 20th to make his decision on entering the Draft or not.