No injury could be more costly than what Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovaiola suffered against Mississippi State on November 16. The junior signal-caller looked to be in near lock-step with Burrow in Heisman Trophy considerations as well as in draft status.
Tagovaiola is expected to announce his decision on January 6th, and while many if not most believe he will declare for the NFL Draft, it’s not certain. If he does, it is still believed he will go not only in the first round, but perhaps still in the top 10.
And why not? The Cincinnati Bengals have options, including trading down, say perhaps with the Oakland Raiders who own two selections in the first round, and would provide Cincinnati added draft capital. The Bengals are also an intriguing factor where Tua is involved as they can still retain the services of veteran quarterback Andy Dalton for another season.
It’s also worth noting that Alabama team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lyle Cain has said publicly that his (Tua) prognosis is “excellent.” It’s expected he will resume football activities in the spring and could play in 2020, either in the NFL or at Alabama.
Tua provides some risk. He’s been prone to injuries and teams will look at that closely. That said, his upside is still sky high, and teams, including the Bengals, will fall in love with that potential.