Ask Farrell: Will Tagovailoa be the second-best QB in his class?
The debate over Tua Tagovailoa in the upcoming NFL Draft continues to be one of the more intriguing pre-draft discussions and it got even more interesting in recent days.
According to draft analyst Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, some teams have moved the former four-star and Alabama quarterback to third on their draft boards at quarterback and at least one team has Tagovailoa slotted fourth at the position.
This comes after the NFL Scouting Combine and apparently following a short video of Tagovailoa working out not showing any ill-effects from a hip injury. He has had other injuries as well through his three seasons in Tuscaloosa that could be an issue.
But according to Miller, Tagovailoa’s injury history is not the main concern heading into the draft later this month. Fairly or unfairly, the Alabama quarterback could be getting knocked for having a wildly-talented cast of players around him, including receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs, who are expected to be early first-round draft picks as well.
MORE ASK FARRELL: What's the best way to evaluate offensive linemen?
Miller’s report also says poor interviews and board work with some teams could have Tagovailoa slipping down the pre-draft quarterback rankings.
To think about Tagovailoa as the third- or fourth-best quarterback in this draft, that would mean LSU’s Joe Burrow, Oregon’s Justin Herbert and presumably Utah State’s Jordan Love would be picked ahead of Tagovailoa as well.
No other quarterback is really in that fringe first-round discussion except possibly Washington’s Jacob Eason.
Who knows what to believe in the weeks leading up to the draft. One report has Tagovailoa falling. Another has the Washington Redskins with the second pick still seriously considering him. It’s that time of year.
FARRELL'S TAKE
We ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell, who has not been a huge proponent of Tagovailoa so high in mock drafts, if he agrees with the teams that have him third or fourth at the position or whether he’s still the second-best quarterback in this draft class.
"I’ve been saying it for quite some time — I think Tua Tagovailoa is overrated. Of course, I’ve been wrong before about quarterbacks, but I just don’t see the hype here. His arm strength isn’t exceptional and he’s played with as much talent as some NFL teams. When you watch him on film, a lot of what he does shows good downfield touch, but he also gets a huge boost from the separation his receivers get and how good they are after the catch.
"The injuries are very worrisome to me. For a guy who, to me, is a second- or third-round talent to be so injury-prone, I just don’t understand why teams are considering him in the top five at all.
"I’m a big fan of Joe Burrow and what he did last season and how much he’s improved, and Herbert can be a Josh Allen-type. But this is a weak quarterback draft and Tagovailoa is benefiting from that. I’d have him third on my list behind Burrow and Herbert and ahead of Love. Burrow and Herbert are the only true first-round quarterback talents in this draft."