2020 NFL mock draft: C.J. Henderson, Jordan Love to Raiders
QB. Alabama. Tua Tagovailoa. 5. 59. Pick Analysis. player. Scouting Report
Alright, the Tua Tagovailoa conundrum.
Nobody is arguing against Tua’s talents. He’s terrific and when healthy at Alabama, dominated to the tune of an 8:1 touchdown-interception ratio. Of course, there’s a caveat there. When healthy.
No team can ever afford to whiff on a first-round quarterback. Just ask Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears. However, the Miami Dolphins have a chance to set their franchise up beautifully for years. Tagovailoa is a fantastic player, they have a league-best 14 selections in this draft, including two more in the first round.
If general manager Chris Grier takes Tagovailoa — or Justin Herbert — and hits, the Dolphins are immediately contenders in the weak AFC East. This all comes down to how Miami feels about the medicals, and everything has come back positive since the Combine in late February.
13. Scouting Report. Tristan Wirfs. Iowa. 6. player. Pick Analysis. OT
The Los Angeles Chargers have two choices. Take a left tackle or pick a quarterback.
Beyond Joe Burrow, there’s no consensus on the other signal-callers in this draft. Tagovailoa is talented, but has a serious injury history. Herbert has talent and the physical build, but his inconsistency at Oregon is a major red flag. Jordan Love can spin it and is an elite athlete, but he threw 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions at Utah State.
For all those reasons, Wirfs is the right choice. He’s close to a slam-dunk at left tackle, and the Chargers have a monster need there after trading Russell Okung for Trai Turner. While Bryan Bulaga could go to the left side, Los Angeles would still have a significant problem on the other side.
The Chargers have Tyrod Taylor and feel confident he can elevate the very good roster around him. Time to put Wirfs at tackle and give Taylor the best protection possible.