Whatever Happens With Tua Tagovailoa Will Shock People

Tua Tagovailoa will either have a Hall of Fame NFL career or he won't. Resolution on this uncertainty exists, if only decades down the road. So that's comforting.

Right now there are divergent opinions on the former Alabama signal-caller. Some believe he's the best quarterback in the draft while others have him fourth or fifth on their positional big board. Late momentum has swung the discussion from him possibly going first overall in a surprise selection over Joe Burrow to falling into the middle of the first round.

Again, we'll know in, like, 60 hours.

NBC Sports' Chris Simms is not particularly high on Tagovailoa. Speaking on Pro Football Talk Live this morning, the fellow southpaw suggested Tua isn't a Top 10 talent even when healthy.

Now, everyone is entitled to his or her opinions. And in America, they get to go on television and share them as people eat their oatmeal. But with all due respect to Simms and his always-in-place-hair, there is nothing surprising at all about an NFL team using a Top-10 pick on a quarterback widely believed to have a bright future.

Let's speed through some recent drafts and check out some of the esteemed names taken this early.

There's Daniel Jones, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky, Blake Bortles, Jake Locker, and Blaine Gabbert. Stop me if you see anyone who was more impressive during college than Tagovailoa. It could be awhile.

Better-than-average quarterback play is a very in-demand commodity. Tagovailoa is worth a top-10 pick even if his health is an issue. That's an acceptable risk-reward curve.

So what would cause my jaw to drop regarding this guy?

Shedding his good-guy image to drop a rap album. Coming out in training camp and throwing right-handed. Turning into a diva. Certainly not going within the parameters of most mock drafts.