Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is trending in the right direction as the calendar inches closer to the 2020 NFL draft. With less than two weeks remaining before the first round beings, Tagovailoa’s incredible recovery from a devastating hip injury suffered in November 2019 took another giant step forward after an impressive showing at his unofficial pro day.
Check it out:
Here's Tua's Pro Day footage obtained from an NFL team. Enjoy the thread. (1/7) pic.twitter.com/MnGlSEF7LC
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 10, 2020
Tagovailoa’s pro day was directed by former Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Trent Dilfer, who shared the statistical breakdown of Tua’s day.
Here’s a detailed breakdown on @Tuaamann workout today from Trent Dilfer, who directed the 72-throw session that was video taped and sent to all 32 teams. Thanks @DilfersDimes pic.twitter.com/vA8Y3tB9AD
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 10, 2020
The biggest takeaway from Tagovailoa’s pro day is how smooth he looked running around. His arm talent was never in question; he’s the best pure passer in this year’s draft. But after suffering such a devastating hip injury less than five months ago, questions remained about his ability to move around as effectively as he did during his time as the Crimson Tide starter.
If his pro day is any indication, Tagovailoa is really (really!) close to being ready to play again. The smartest strategy, however, remains redshirting him in 2020 to minimize any chance of re-injury. But if he goes to a team that’s desperate for a starter in 2020 (like the Chargers, for example), he could be ready to pay dividends much sooner than later.
Tagovailoa’s most likely landing spot remains No. 5 overall to the Dolphins, but now that his pro day was a success, he may have elevated his stock to No. 3 overall to the Lions (or a team willing to pay a king’s ransom to move up.