2020 NFL Draft: Predicting boom or bust potential for 8 top prospects

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

The only things that could prevent Tua Tagovailoa from becoming a quality NFL starter are his injuries. Tagovailoa suffered a dislocated hip that required surgery last season and is only recovering his full strength now. The former national champion’s camp is telling teams Tagovailoa could start this season, as opposed to the original thought that he’d redshirt as a rookie.

Tagovailoa also suffered multiple ankle injuries that resulted in surgeries while in college. His 6-0, 217-pound frame could be contributing to his growing injury history. As cliche as it sounds, the best ability is availability. If Tagovailoa can’t stay healthy for a 16-game season, then he’s not a starting quarterback.

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However, Tagovailoa thrived at Alabama before suffering his injuries. While Joe Burrow opened a gap as the draft’s top quarterback prospect, Tagovailoa was the consensus top pick heading into the 2019 college football season, and nothing in his actual play should alter his sky-high draft stock. Only the injuries could potentially throw off this young man’s career.

Prediction: Boom

Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

Jordan Love‘s name began rising in draft conversations after the 2019 college football season, but the Utah State quarterback struggled in his final collegiate season. Love threw 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions while completing 61.9 percent of his pass attempts.

A lot of Love’s interceptions get written off because he played for a bad team that suffered immense turnover from 2018 to 2019. In 2018, Love produced 32 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 64.0 percent of his pass attempts. Those numbers look much better compared to other top quarterback prospects like Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert.

However, Love is still an incredibly raw quarterback who lacks the refinement and football IQ Burrow and Tagovailoa bring to the table. Love should not start for an NFL team from Day 1 and there are only a few places in the league where he could even potentially win a starting spot as a rookie.

Inaccuracy on deep passes, poor ball placement, telegraphing throws, and bad decision making could drag down Love’s career before it gets started.

Prediction: Bust