In the 2020 National Football League (NFL) Draft, the Miami Dolphins selected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out of the University of Alabama to be the future of their franchise with the fifth pick. This Sunday, we’ll get to see his first career start in the NFL against the Los Angeles Rams.
Tagovailoa’s promotion came as a surprise to many in the NFL and its community. It was assumed that the Dolphins were going to take the safe approach and let Tua be the backup for a year and learn behind the starting quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. This approach has worked very well, most recently with Super Bowl MVP and 2018 NFL MVP, Patrick Mahomes. Additionally, Tagovailoa will be the first left-handed quarterback to start a game since Kellen Moore in 2016.
At Alabama, Tagovailoa was not only one of the most prolific passers in college football history, but he was very efficient as well. In his two years as a starter, he racked up 6.806 passing yards and 76 passing touchdowns. He also had an astounding 70% completion percentage, and just nine interceptions on 607 pass attempts. He won numerous awards, such as the Maxwell Award (given to the best all-around college football player) and the Walter Camp Award (given to the college football player of the year). Tagovailoa was an All-American in 2018, as well as being named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He was also named the 2017 National Championship Game’s MVP for his efforts in securing the win.
Before his injury, the Alabama QB was the favorite to be the first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Luke Easterling of DraftWire at USA Today had Tua Tagovailoa as the first pick in his “2020 Way-Too-Early” mock draft that was posted on September 27, 2019, just two months before his injury. The six-foot quarterback suffered a devastating injury that many thought could derail his career. He suffered a severe right hip dislocation and a posterior wall fracture. The injury is considered rare in football and is more commonly seen in car accidents. Despite having a storied injury history, Tagovailoa has fully recovered from his injuries and he is ready to play.
There wasn’t much clarity on what the Miami Dolphins were going to do with their fifth overall pick. It was known that they were going to select a quarterback, but there were conflicting reports on who they liked the most. Reports said that the Dolphins liked Justin Herbert from the University of Oregon, as well as Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa was seen as the premier prospect coming into the draft. Ultimately, the Dolphins selected Tagovailoa and the Los Angeles Chargers selected Herbert with the sixth pick.
Unlike Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert was thrown into the fire in his second week due to starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s lung being punctured by the team doctor. In five starts, Herbert has put up 1,542 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, three interceptions, and two rushing touchdowns. His stats are great, but he has only led his team to one win in his five starts. Some NFL analysts have come out and brought up this question: have the Dolphins selected the wrong quarterback ? In short, it is too quick to tell.
Photo: Courtesy Tagovailoa
