2020 NFL Draft: 5 players Bengals could take in Round 1

3. Tua Tagovailoa

It wasn’t all that long ago when it seemed to be a mortal lock that Tagovailoa would be the No. 1 overall selection in this year’s draft. That was before injuries relegated him to the sideline and opened the door for Burrow to have a historically great senior season at LSU. Even so, the idea that Tua could blossom into the better pro isn’t that far-fetched.

Clearly, Tagovailoa will have to stay healthy to make that sort of prediction come true. His representatives claim he’ll receive a clean bill of health well ahead of the draft, but that’s far from a certainty at this point in time.

Assume, for a moment, Tagovailoa does put his health issues behind him though. You’re left with a quarterback who wows scouts with his accuracy. More importantly, Tua shows the ability to put the ball wherever he wants on all three levels of the field. He’s just as good throwing the deep out as he is hitting a shallow crossing route.

Tagovailoa also has a mental acumen for the game that’s difficult to accurately value. He processes information at an extremely rapid rate. That skill is going to serve him well at the next level. The Bengals probably won’t be the team to reap those benefits, but the idea of drafting him instead of Burrow isn’t as crazy as some fans might think.