Tua Tagovailoa says he’d probably enter NFL draft if he has this significant assurance
The Tua Tagovailoa media tour continued Thursday as the injured University of Alabama quarterback took questions from reporters at a press conference after doing one-on-one interviews days before.
And while Tagovailoa didn’t announce whether he is definitively returning to school in 2020 or declaring for the NFL draft, he did lay out a scenario that could lure him to the professional game.
Tagovailoa was asked if knowing he’d be a top 10-15 draft pick in the first round would make him lean toward going to the NFL.
“Yeah, I think that’d be tough to pass up,” Tagovailoa said. “But I think there’s a lot more to it than that in some aspects. I don’t want to say too much because what me and my family talk about, I want it to be between me and my family.”
The redshirt sophomore said he and his family have not formally met to decide on his future. He is currently rehabilitating from surgery to repair a hip dislocation and fracture to the posterior wall.
College underclassmen wishing to declare for the NFL draft must due so by January 20.
“It’s something I still need to sit down and talk to about with my family,” Tagovailoa said. “Haven’t really had that opportunity because of the rehab I need to go to and I’m still trying to finish up my school here.”
The problem Tagovailoa faces is that no NFL team is likely to reveal to him, or anyone, that it absolutely intends to select him in the top 15 selections. The competitive nature of the NFL practically guarantees that.
But the other problem preventing that is Tagovailoa must make his decision and announce it before he is completely healthy from his injury. And no NFL team is likely to commit to drafting him at the top of the first round at that stage -- before he’s closer to being healthy.
The Miami Dolphins currently hold three first round picks in the 2020 draft, including one currently projected in the top 5. While the team valued Tagovailoa as a prime prospect that early before this season, it’s not known how the player’s injury has affected the evaluation.
Tagovailoa, who has been riding a scooter to get around Alabama’s campus, began his rehab this week. He insisted he will eventually be ready to play.
“They were surprised with the amount of movement we can do with resistance, rotating your leg out and bringing it back in against resistance and being able to lift your leg up,” Tagovailoa said. “I feel like I will be able to come back 100 percent and play to the capability that I’ll be able to play at.
But Tagovailoa also admitted the hip injury may force him to change the way he plays.
“I don’t think I’d be the same again because there’s, like metal in here, you know?” he said. “I lose some rotation inward, so I won’t be able to twist as much inward and whatnot. I wouldn’t need that as much. When you’re running, you’re almost always opening up your hip. From what the doctors say, they expect a full recovery and I’ll be able to go out there and play football again at 100 percent, it’s just I won’t be able to rotate it internally the same way.”
