The Washington Redskins have the number two overall pick in Thursday night’s NFL Draft, and they should use it to select Alabama superstar quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
While most mock drafts have the Redskins selecting former Ohio State defensive end Chase Young, I believe that would be the wrong pick. Don’t get me wrong, Young is a great player. He could emerge as one of the elite defensive players in the NFL, but one elite defensive player doesn’t change the fortunes of your franchise. An elite quarterback does. (RELATED: Celebrating 2nd And 26 On Feb. 26)
There are legitimate concerns with Tua. He faced serious injury issues in both of his two years as a starter at Alabama, and his final season was prematurely ended in mid-November after he suffered a hip injury against Mississippi State. It would be unwise to pretend that drafting Tua would not come with risks, but the upside is too good for a franchise like the Redskins to pass up on. (RELATED: Another Tagovailoa Is Headed To Alabama. Should The Rest Of College Football Just Give Up?)
Washington has been searching for a franchise quarterback for years. Due to unforeseen circumstances, one has now fallen in their lap. They already have Dwayne Haskins, who improved a lot over the course of his rookie season, and has the potential to turn into a solid quarterback. But, he’s not Tua. Quarterback guru and Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer called Tua the “single best prospect” he’s ever been around. He likely would have won two Heisman Trophy’s if it weren’t for late season injuries he suffered. It’s a quarterback-driven league and the Redskins may not have a chance to draft a quarterback this talented again for a long time.
Tua comes with a lot of risks, but the rewards could include more than a decade of relevancy for a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in 15 years, and hasn’t won more than 10 games in a season since 1991. After decades of mostly misery, what do the Redskins have to lose? Take a chance, Dan Snyder. You won’t regret it.