Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama, QB
Height – 6’0″ Weight – 217 lbs. Hand Size – 10”
Arm – 30” Wingspan – 75” Age – 22
With the fifth selection in the 2020 draft, Tua goes to Miami where he will be able to sit behind Ryan Fitzpatrick until his team can trust his health enough to take the field. Tua’s talent isn’t the question here, nor the reason why Joe Burrow was selected before him. Injury was the only thing holding Tua from being the top selection in this year’s draft, and he will most certainly be looking to prove doubters wrong. Certainly, the Dolphins believe in him by taking him as the second QB overall.
Tua played for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide for a total of three years. Backing up Jalen Hurts his freshman year, but seeing moderate playing time and winning the job into his sophomore year, Tua was able to demonstrate elite level accuracy. Unfortunately, he suffered a major hip injury middle of his third season and decided it would be best to move onto the NFL rather than returning for a senior campaign.
Not only does Tua offer the ability to pick apart defenses and the ability to escape the pocket when necessary, but he has a knack for making consistently good football decisions. Many have compared him to Drew Brees including his own coach Nick Saban. This only bodes well for your dynasty team even if he doesn’t reach that level of upside. Tua should give you plenty of good fantasy seasons going forward. Despite injury, his stats imply he is a special football player and his film shows that too.
Tua posted amazing touchdown to interception ratios in his three-year career with Alabama and consistently ascended from 63% completion rating in 2017 to 71% in 2019. Bringing that level of accuracy to any NFL organization is bound to improve their overall offensive attack, and performing in Saban’s offense shows he has the ability to run an NFL playbook with success. Tua isn’t a mobile quarterback by any means and prefers to diagnose defenses and pick them apart from behind the pocket. If given that opportunity and provided with a clean bill of health, expect his game to translate to the NFL with ease. Don’t forget that before the injury concerns arose, Tua was the coveted QB of this class with the phrase “Tank for Tua” being used often.
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Aside from injury, I see no issues with Tua’s play. He gets rid of the ball quickly and accurately allowing for his playmakers to get the ball in their hands with room to run. Tua doesn’t force throws and plays safe allowing for more red zone attempts and continued drives. It will most certainly take time for the team to build around him and for him to find his way onto the field, but if healthy he will improve the talent around him.
“Tank for Tua” was always the mission, and if not for a meteoric rise by Burrow and an unfortunate injury to Tua, this would not have been possible. Tua’s pro day film shows him working out and showing the clean bill of health that his Doctors have made clear to NFL teams. Tua can take a seat behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and watch the Dolphins build around him with the other thirteen selections they have in this year’s draft. Preston Williams and DeVante Parker offer him a decent WR core unfortunately riddled with injury and one that will hopefully be upgraded quickly with this year’s deep rookie wideout class. Mike Gesicki offers a young tight end to grow with, and Jordan Howard has been acquired to shore up the running back depth. Tua will excel if healthy and will be the main building block for years to come in Miami.
Brian Flores has shown he can win with a mediocre roster but is receiving a talented upgrade at the sport’s most important position. The key to this switch at QB is Chan Gailey, the newly hired OC who has spent seasons with Ryan Fitzpatrick prior to this upcoming year. Gailey will help transition Tua into his offensive playbook while using Fitzpatrick to operate in the meantime. The Dolphins expect a smooth transition while performing the rebuild that will hopefully propel them back to NFL relevance. I expect Tua to be everything he was in college when he was healthy and will perform as expected for fantasy purposes to be selected in the top half of the first round in your rookie superflex drafts. He won’t get the opportunity immediately, but when he does, he will hopefully have a rebuilt offense around him.
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