2020 NFL Draft Prop Bets: Which Team Will Draft Tua Tagovailoa?

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It seems inevitable that Joe Burrow will go to the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Of course, a lot could change, but that seems like a foregone conclusion. Where the NFL Draft starts to get exciting is with the second quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa.

Long viewed as the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft (remember Tanking For Tua?), Tagovailoa is now clearly behind Burrow and could even fall behind Justin Herbert, although that seems unlikely. Tagovailoa has been mocked to go to teams like the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers, but which is the best bet to land him? Let’s take a closer look.

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Miami Dolphins: -149 at BetMGM
The Dolphins seem to love Tua the most. However, this would not be the first time that a team outwardly projects a love of a player — only to take a different approach on draft night. Miami could be expressing massive interest in Tua to throw other teams off the scent. It might try to lure other NFL teams into trading up to the No. 5 spot on the draft board in the first round, which is when Miami is currently scheduled to pick. We know that if the Dolphins don’t take him, the Los Angeles Chargers (+275) are very likely to scoop him up.

Keep in mind that the Dolphins collected a large load of draft picks, and that could mean they’ll roll the dice on Tua and use their many other picks to shore up other spots on their roster. However, it could also mean that Miami will try to get even more picks by enticing a team to trade up to No. 5 since they still have lots of holes.

At the end of the day, this is my expectation: I’m looking for the Dolphins to wind up with Tagovailoa, as that’s who they were originally tanking for. They didn’t get the No. 1 pick in the draft, but Tagovailoa isn’t going to be the No. 1 pick. Even so, they can still wind up with him and plug a big hole on the roster.

Los Angeles Chargers: +275 at BetMGM
The Chargers watched Philip Rivers sign with the Indianapolis Colts, and they now need a long-term solution. Tyrod Taylor is likely to be the Week 1 starter in the coming season, but a team with a stopgap quarterback – not a star – could be the kind of team that picks Tua.

The thought process is obvious: the Chargers could play Taylor next season, and Tagovailoa could watch from the sidelines to take a year to get fully healthy. Then the Chargers could play Tagovailoa in his second NFL season. The Chargers make sense as a team that would take Tua if Miami doesn’t do so. It’s hard to see Tua falling past this point.

Carolina Panthers: +2500 at BetMGM
If you’re looking for a longshot, the Panthers are it. They did sign Teddy Bridgewater, but he’s a safe, conservative passer. They could take Tua as a backup to Bridgewater and keep him as a strong upside play down the road.

Remember that the Panthers are sitting at No. 7, and it wouldn’t take a ton to move up to No. 5 to hop in front of the Chargers. They’re a longshot, but if the Dolphins are in the pick trading business, Carolina could offer a juicy payout at +2500.

View all of our 2020 NFL Draft Prop Bets