Open the Control Room

Tua Tagovailoa Declares For The 2020 NFL Draft

Dynasty, Rookie / By

The strengths of the 2020 class lie at the running back and wide receiver positions. The quarterback and tight end classes are not nearly discussed as much. When Tua injured his hip, any excitement about this class immediately ceased. With questions surrounding Tua’s health, dynasty owners had to wait for weeks to learn about his next step. Luckily for dynasty owners, he decided to forgo his senior season by entering the 2020 NFL Draft. Tua is the talent that this quarterback class desperately needed.

High School

Tuanigamanuolepola “Tua” Tagovailoa grew up in ‘Ewa Beach where he attended Saint Louis High School, the same high school that Marcus Mariota went to. Tua, motivated by his father’s discipline, excelled in high school. In 2016, he played in the Under Armor All-American game. This game highlights the best talent in high school football. Additionally, he made the Elite 11 roster. The Elite 11 is a yearly competition that pits the best quarterbacks in high school against each other. Tua proved to be the best by being named the 2016 Elite 11 MVP.

Per 24/7 Sports, Tua had a composite ranking of 0.9843, making him a five-star recruit. As the first ranked dual-threat QB, the first-ranked player in Hawaii, and 32nd ranked player nationally, Tua overcame playing in Hawaii by being a heavily sought-after recruit. He eventually decided to attend the University of Alabama.

College Statistics

 

Tua didn’t start his freshman season, but he did appear in many of their games, mostly in garbage time. Tua’s appearances mostly occurred because of an injury. Playing against Georgia in the National Championship, Alabama was forced to play the freshman after Jalen Hurts went down with an injury. Tua went 14-24 for 166 yards and 3 TDs. Tua did have some negative moments in that game, including an interception, but he showed greatness too. In overtime, with the game on the line, Tua completed the game-winning touchdown pass to fellow freshman Devonta Smith.

Rightfully, Tua entered the 2018 season as the starter. Unfortunately for the rest of the nation, Alabama finally had a talented quarterback to pair with their offensive weapons. Blessed with four future NFL wide receivers and Irv Smith, the Tua led offense went on a tear. Despite leaving multiple games early, Tua finished fifth in yards, second in touchdowns, second in adjusted yards per attempt, and first in passer efficiency rating. This Alabama offense will be looked back on as one of the most talented in college football history. This Alabama offense featured Josh Jacobs, Damien Harris, Najee Harris, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, Jaylen Waddle, Devonta Smith, and Irv Smith. There is a very real possibility where Damien Harris’ third-round draft capital is the worst. Whenever a player is surrounded by this much talent, questions will arise about how they will function with lesser talent around them. Those concerns are fair to have, but I wouldn’t look too deep into them. Tua made plays that very few college quarterbacks could make, even with that surrounding talent. This throw to Waddle is an absolute dime.

Tua started the season in a similar manner to the one prior. Through his first six games, Tua had 2,011 yards and 27 TDs. He injured his ankle in a game against Tennessee, forcing him to get surgery and miss the Arkansas game. Tua returned for the biggest game of the year against LSU. In a loss that appeared closer than it was, Tua posted 418 yards and 4 TDS, but only completed 52.5% of his passes. The following week, up big against Ole Miss, Tua got carted off the field with a hip injury. This was the last time Tua appeared in a game for Alabama. After weeks of contemplating and meeting with specialists, Tua finally declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Film Analysis

This first play comes from Tua’s freshman season. The blitzing corner gets pressure on Tua from the outside, forcing him to scramble within the pocket to avoid the sack. Another defender has a chance but Tua forces him to miss with a similar move. Tua steps into the hit and delivers a dime in the endzone for the touchdown. This entire play is possible because Tua does a great job of keeping his head up and his eyes downfield. It’s encouraging to see a freshman quarterback willingly step into a hit like that to complete a pass. This is a strong example of Tua’s mobility, mental processing, and improvising skills. 

This next play comes from his sophomore season. Alabama’s line does a great job of giving Tua a clean pocket. With no fears about a pass rush, Tua can stand freely in the pocket, dissecting the defense. As his routes develop, he’s processing where to go with the ball and then with great accuracy and anticipation, delivers a perfect ball to Irv Smith. It’s a simple play, but it’s a beautifully thrown ball from Tua.

This last play is from his junior season. The corner is untouched blitzing from the outside. Tua easily sidesteps him, showing off his ability to make defenders miss in the pocket. Tua scrambles to the left, both allowing his receivers to get open and placing himself in a better position to complete the pass. While on the run, he fires a perfect pass to the receiver. This is a routine play for Tua.

Conclusion

An injury robbed us from the great debate of Tua vs Burrow. With injury questions surrounding Tua, Burrow will likely be the number one overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. With the health reports looking optimistic, Tua will still likely be a top-five pick. As it stands right now, Tua is my QB2. I would draft Tua in the top three of Superflex leagues and somewhere in the mid to late second of single-QB leagues.

What are your thoughts on Tua? How do you think his injuries impact his dynasty outlook? Let me know on Twitter at @DFF_Steven.

Related Posts