Three reasons why the Detroit Lions should not draft Tua Tagovailoa

Reason #3: Detroit’s offense

Detroit has not been blessed when it comes to offensive creativity. Their scheme isn’t flashy like the Chiefs. It’s just a basic, vertical offense made to fit Stafford’s strengths, which is standing tall in the pocket and throwing the ball downfield.

Because of this, I don’t think Tua would fit well in the Detroit Lions offense. He stands at 6-foot-1, which isn’t extremely short by any means, but still. Offensive lineman aren’t getting any smaller.

With how weak Detroit’s offensive line is, I just don’t think Tua can survive in the pocket. We’ve already seen the beating that Stafford takes back there.

No.9 is only able to make certain throws while under pressure because he can see over the defense. Standing at 6-foot-3, Stafford’s height allows him to complete those weird arm-slot throws.

A two inch difference between him and Tua may not seem like a lot. But as the old saying goes, football is a game of inches.

To make matters worse, Tagovailoa is injury prone. Throughout his college career, he battled ankle injuries. This past season, we saw him suffer a season ending hip injury.

If he gets behind Detroit’s offensive line, he could very well re-aggravate old injuries, or suffer new ones. It would be a “Same Old Lions” move to draft Tua, only to have him turn into a bust because of injuries.

I understand the frustration that Detroit Lions fans have. The past two seasons have been very disappointing. But that doesn’t mean getting a new quarterback will solve every problem.

Matthew Stafford is, and will be the Lions franchise QB for years to come. There’s just no getting around that, so you might as well buckle up for the long haul.

This team has a lot more desperate needs, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They need to draft a player that’s going to make an impact now. As long as No.9 is at the helm, I believe the Lions are on the fringe of playoff contention.