2020 NFL Draft: Tua Tagovailoa only Alabama player with top-15 grade
Tua Tagovailoa is, according to head coach Nick Saban, the only Alabama player to receive a top-15 grade for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Tua Tagovailoa may have suffered a season-ending hip injury but, according to the NFL Draft Advisory Committee, he is still the top Alabama player in the 2020 class.
Speaking ahead of the Citrus Bowl, Alabama coach Nick Saban revealed Tagovailoa was the only Crimson Tide player to receive a top-15 grade from the Advisory Committee.
Clearly referring to Tagovailoa as he spoke on his radio show from Orlando, Saban – per AL.com – said:
"“We only had one guy that has that high of a grade and he’s not going to be play in the game because he’s injured. And that injury may affect his grade, unfortunately, for him, right now.”"
The medical will be the biggest factor in determining whether Tagovailoa, assuming he declares, is the first Alabama prospect off the board come April. If teams are convinced he will be able to make a full recovery from his dislocated hip and return to his spectacular best, then Tagovailoa will evidently be the top Alabama player available in the draft.
However, should there be any problems with his medicals, then teammates Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, and Jedrick Wills could well leapfrog him on the board.
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Before the 2019 season, Tagovailoa looked a near-certainty to be the first overall pick in the draft. Now, it is far from certain if he will even declare. The Advisory Committee’s grade suggests he should do and, if Tagovailoa does decide to turn pro, his pre-draft process will likely be one of most fascinating of recent memory.