Did DeVonta Smith pick Tua Tagovailoa as compared to Mac Jones?
The pairing of DeVonta Smith and the Miami Dolphins in mock draft has been a persistent theme throughout the course of the winter already. Miami, who owns the No. 3 pick in April’s NFL Draft, has a desperate need at wide receiver. And no receiver enjoyed a better season than Alabama’s Smith — so much so that Smith brought home the Heisman Trophy for his efforts.
And while Smith made the effort to go to Mobile and attend the Senior Bowl to get up close and personal with the Dolphins’ coaching staff, he has also teased the idea of “running it back” with his former college quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.
Of course the appeal here is obvious for Smith — it would likely equate to a top-10 overall draft status and a lofty rookie contract while playing with a familiar face at quarterback. But is that familiar face in Tagovailoa the one that stands out to Smith the most throughout his time in Tuscaloosa?
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, that may not be the case. Breer, in his latest column of Monday Morning Quarterback, offered a fascinating nugget from Mobile at this year’s Senior Bowl event while profile Alabama quarterback Mac Jones.
“…maybe the most interesting anecdote I could possibly give you on (Mac Jones) from that week in Mobile comes from his Heisman Trophy winning receiver DeVonta Smith. One team asked Smith, point blank: ‘Tua Tagovailoa or (Mac) Jones?’ The question was barely finished before Smith answered: Mac Jones. He was bold and definitive about it, as I heard it.” – Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated
Oh.
Of course, Jones was the Alabama quarterback who fed Smith the football with enough volume to win the Heisman — perhaps that has something to do with Smith’s swift answer. And while Tagovailoa isn’t likely to take offense to this question should it reach his attention, it is certainly worth noting none the less. It also doesn’t mean Smith should be considered off the table for the Dolphins in the NFL Draft process. But, at the very least, Miami fans will likely open their minds to alternative possibilities after Smith at No. 3 felt like so much of a formality for the past several weeks.
