Tua Tagovailoa’s stock continues to rise as the former Alabama quarterback continues to receive positive news in regards to his ongoing rehabilitation after suffering a season-ending hip injury back in mid-November.

After being evaluated longer by NFL medical staffs than any other prospect at the 2020 NFL Combine, the latest buzz from the event is that Tagovailoa has shown enough for teams to have faith that the quarterback will be ready to see the field sooner rather than later.

While he won’t participate in any drills or physical activities at the combine or at Alabama’s upcoming Pro Day in March, Tagovailoa is hoping to be cleared in time to hold his own personal Pro Day at Alabama in April before the draft.

The Washington Redskins, owners of the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, have even met with Tagovailoa at the combine, in addition to several other prospects such as Joe Burrow and Chase Young, leading to speculation that the franchise may be interested in drafting the former Alabama quarterback if he is available when it’s their time to select in the draft.

Keep in mind Washington drafted Dwayne Haskins with the 15th overall of the 2019 NFL Draft less than a year ago. Could the team select quarterbacks in the first round in back-to-back drafts? It’s happened elsewhere, the Arizona Cardinals recently did just that by selecting Josh Rosen in the first round of the 2018 draft and following that pick up by taking Kyler Murray in the first round of the 2019 draft.

During a recent appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick says it could happen again in Washington, but also noted that he doesn’t think it should or that it will happen. It should be noted that Washington hired a new head coach this offseason in Ron Rivera. Thus, Rivera had no part in drafting Haskins last year.

“That could possibly happen with Dwayne Haskins, Ron (Rivera) could just not take a liking to him and hold last year against him,” Riddick said on the show. “Whatever, whatever terminology you want to use to start over. I think it would be ridiculous. I think that would be totally throwing context out the window as to just how dysfunctional that place was last year.

“From the get-go, from the very first time that it was announced Dwayne Haskins was going to be their quarterback. It started leaking out immediately that he wasn’t the choice of the coaching staff and or some people in the scouting department and that it was Dan (Snyder)’s choice. You do those kinds of things, what do you think is going to happen to the kid?”

Riddick then took things a step further and noted that Washington should select the player he grades out as the best in the entire draft, former Ohio State defender Young.

“If they draft Tua and they pass on Chase Young, who I know for a fact that the most important man in that organization — being the owner — loves, would just be ridiculous,” Riddick added. “I really do. But, we’ll see.”

For what it’s worth, Riddick noted during the interview that he is a fan of Tagovailoa. He also noted that if Tua did not have an injury history in college  (Tagovailoa underwent two ankle surgeries, hip surgery and broke his finger during his time at Alabama), he would select Tagovailoa over Burrow in the draft.

However, Riddick said that injury history cannot simply be overlooked and he would select Burrow No. 1 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.