2020 NFL Mock Draft: Big Trades for Top QBs Shake Up Early Picks

What teams could make huge moves up the board for a franchise quarterback?

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is one of the biggest wild cards in the 2020 NFL Draft class, and he could also be the target of a potential trade that could throw the entire first round into chaos.

That's what happens in the latest 2020 NFL mock draft from Sports Illustrated, which has the Los Angeles Chargers trading next year's first-round pick to move up from No. 6 to No. 3 for Tagovailoa.

SI's Kevin Hanson explains his reasoning for the Bolts' big move:

Up to this point, every iteration of my mock draft has matched Tua with the Dolphins. Armed with three first-rounders and six top-70 picks, they may remain the favorite to trade up for Tua assuming team doctors are comfortable with his medical outlook, but it’s not a lock. Teams picking directly behind the Dolphins (before any trades) could potentially leapfrog them for Tua’s services. As the Chargers move into the post-Philip Rivers era, it’s expected that they will add a potential franchise quarterback to join Tyrod Taylor and Easton Stick. When healthy, Tagovailoa throws with elite accuracy and anticipation and has the mobility to extend plays. Tua expects to be fully cleared on March 9th and will hold a personal pro day on April 9th.

This pick makes sense, but I'm not sure trading next year's first-round pick is worth the difference between Tagovailoa and Oregon's Justin Herbert, who would have been available for the Bolts in this scenario at their original slot.

The Chargers aren't the only ones who make a big trade up the board for a new quarterback. This mock also has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers making a splash, trading up three spots with the New York Jets to land their new franchise passer, Utah State's Jordan Love.

Here's what Hanson had to say about this pick:

Following his 30-interception season, there’s no guarantee that Jameis Winston will be back in Tampa, although that hasn’t been ruled out either. As for Love, he regressed in his junior season as he threw nearly as many interceptions (17) as touchdowns (20), but part of that can be attributed to a coaching change and lack of offensive talent and experience around him. If Love's 2018 and '19 seasons were reversed, however, he would be more widely-viewed as a potential top-10 pick although that buzz seems to be building. While he's just outside the top 10 in this mock, his intriguing skill set could entice Bruce Arians and the Bucs to trade in front of the Raiders and Colts for the strong-armed signal-caller.

I understand where Hanson is going here, but I'm not sure this pick fits. Arians didn't come back from retirement to take on a rebuilding project, which makes him much more likely to favor a veteran free agent to start in 2020 if the Bucs don't retain Winston. While it would make sense for the Bucs to draft an eventual successor to whoever that veteran may be, I doubt Arians would pass up the chance to add a player in the first round who would have a more immediate impact on Tampa Bay's chances of contending.

Love is a talented passer with tons of upside, but Arians might be retired again before Love is ready to be an effective NFL starter.

To check out the full first-round projection at Sports Illustrated, click here.