So here we go with the Tua Tagovailoa rumors to the Lions when they pick third in the upcoming NFL Draft in April.
This projection though comes from ESPN’s Mel Kiper — who shouldn’t be taken as the end-all-be-all authority on mock drafts — but he is certainly a name that’s going to garner plenty of attention when it comes to his picks.
So what’s his justification, despite the rumor over the past couple of weeks that the Lions were shopping Matthew Stafford and Bob Quinn, in turn, squashing them?
The Lions say they’re not shopping quarterback Matthew Stafford, but there is some buzz that they like Tagovailoa, who might not work out for teams before April’s draft because of his hip injury. Is that just a smoke screen?
For as much as Tua going third to Detroit or the Lions trading Matthew Stafford doesn’t make sense, speculation surrounding the Alabama QB going third isn’t surprising. Prior to his hip injury this past season, Tagovailoa was the unquestioned first overall pick heading into this year’s Draft. And if Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia didn’t potentially have their jobs on the line with the stipulation of making the playoffs or else, I could certainly see the Lions making a long-term investment into Tua at three.
But that’s not the fact of the matter. Quinn and Patricia are very much in win-now mode or else and with that in mind, a quarterback — who you picked first overall — sitting on the bench doesn’t do much for the immediate future. Not to mention Matthew Stafford still gives the Lions the best chance to win now which is exactly why those trade rumors were complete and utter nonsense.
What’s probably going to happen is the Lions fielding calls for the third pick since teams like Carolina and the Chargers will be looking to jump the Dolphins at five to get their hands on Tua. If the Lions can move back a few spots, great, otherwise Tagovailoa will be with Miami once the first round comes to an end.
