Questions linger after Tua video

While Tua Tagovailoa’s recent workout circulating on social media may have offered NFL teams and fans a glimpse into his hip recovery, longtime ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said plenty of questions remain.

Concerns about the former Alabama star quarterback’s ability to stay healthy remain the biggest question, especially with teams not being able to evaluate him due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If a team such as the Miami Dolphins believes it may have to trade up in the draft to land Tagovailoa, who is expected to be a top-five pick, it would require making a decision without extensive medical research.

“The medical on Tua could be difficult obviously with the current [coronavirus]

situation,” Kiper said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday. “This would be a year where you would need all the medical [information] you could get, all the things you would need to do due diligence — and you’re not going to have that opportunity.

“So is a team going to trade up without that type of information? We’ll see.”

The quarterback-needy Dolphins own the No. 5 pick and might need to trade up with the Washington Redskins, who have the No. 2 pick, or the Detroit Lions, who own the No. 3 selection, if they want to secure a top-rated quarterback.

But it has become an increasingly difficult situation with NFL draft prospects unable to undergo medical rechecks following February’s combine. The NFL also has canceled all physical examinations during the coronavirus crisis.

Teams were also restricted from hosting players on pre-draft visits that typically occurred before the draft, where such a health evaluation could have taken place.

The Dolphins tried to host Tagovailoa for a visit March 13 — when they hosted Utah State quarterback Jordan Love and Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins — but logistics and concerns in the current climate prevented the meeting.

Tagovailoa posted several clips on Instagram earlier this week of him working out with former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, offering a first look at his recovery since suffering his hip injury last November.

“It was a quick video and it’s nice to see,” Kiper said. “Teams now don’t have a lot to go by, so that’s certainly something that makes it promising.”

Kiper also warned the greatest concern surrounding Tagovailoa is his “durability, which you can’t predict how it’s going to go — even once he’s healthy.”

Kiper believes the Lions may be the optimal trade partner for a team such as the Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers or Las Vegas Raiders to move up in the draft to acquire Tagovailoa.

“[But] right now there’s a lot of question marks because of the lack of information from a medical standpoint,” Kiper said.

Kiper also advocated for the draft to still be held on its scheduled dates of April 23-25.

“The draft can be done, obviously, without having everybody together,” he said. “No teams go to the draft anyway. It’s going to be different. It has to be adjusted, but there are a lot more important [things] going on obviously than the NFL draft.

“Everybody is trying to deal with the health of their families, and we’re trying to get through this the best we can. I think the NFL can get through it. I think it’s important to give people something to focus on and occupy their minds that’s an escape for these trying times. Everybody is trying to deal with something much bigger than what happens with the NFL draft.

“Moving forward, we’re hopeful something happens.”