The biggest ball has dropped – Tua Tagovailoa is going to Miami
And just like that, Tua Tagovailoa’s injury history is a thing of the past.
Say hello to the Tua era in Miami! ☀️
The @MiamiDolphins select @AlabamaFTBL QB @Tuaamann with the 5th overall pick! pic.twitter.com/PnS3knpQOY
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) April 24, 2020
Well, maybe not a thing of the past – but not enough for the Miami Dolphins to ignore their future.
The #Dolphins go with #Bama QB Tua Tagovailoa at No. 5. They didn’t tank, but they did take Tua. No issues with his physical and they felt confident in his recovery.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2020
Tua Tagovailoa is arguably the best quarterback in Alabama history.
Tua Tagovailoa is the highest selected @AlabamaFTBL QB since Joe Namath in 1965. pic.twitter.com/7ErJ9E4MkD
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 24, 2020
He played a mere 32 games in college and served as the Crimson Tide‘s starting QB for only two seasons – 2018 and 2019.
But for all of his accomplishments, you’d think he’d been there an eternity.
Tua Tagovailoa is the first Nick Saban-coached QB selected in the first round of the NFL Draft; it was the only non-specialist position that Saban hadn’t had a first-round pick from entering this season.
Tagovailoa’s 87 career pass TD are the most in Alabama history. pic.twitter.com/ObZH1AoPvb
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 24, 2020
Outside of his history-making 87 passing touchdowns in those 32 games, what might be most impressive about Tua’s college career is that in his 684 pass attempts, he only threw 11 interceptions.
We’re not going to do the numbers for you, but just know that’s a very low interception percentage.
Dolphins take Tua Tagovailoa at No.5.
Many Dolphins fans can exhale and rejoice. Chris Grier and Brian Flores are taking their shot on Tua. Good for them. What a ride it has been. pic.twitter.com/mGsGryD3zN
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) April 24, 2020
Many before the NFL Draft believed Tua Tagovailoa to be the best quarterback prospect on the board, but his rich injury history caused hesitation among teams.
Was it worth taking a chance on a guy who in November, suffered a hip injury most often associated with high-speed motorcycle accidents?
“He was screaming in pain as medical training staff had to pick him up and carry him off the cart.” @MollyAMcGrath said the first report is that Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury to his right hip vs. Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/ppMJykMq9N
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 16, 2019
Similar to all sports debates, there were two distinctly separate camps of thought before the draft.
But once the selection came down, cheers rang out for Miami’s fearlessness in selecting Tagovailoa.
Tua falls ….to the Miami Dolphins at number five. Love this kid. #LeftyBrees
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) April 24, 2020
Earlier this week, Colin Cowherd implored teams to follow the advice of Alabama coach Nick Saban and not make the same mistake as the franchises that passed on Deshaun Watson in 2017.
“Nick Saban said, ‘You pass on Tua, you’re gonna regret it.’ Remember what Dabo Swinney told us about Deshaun Watson? He told us he’s the Michael Jordan of football players.”
Teams skeptical of drafting Tua should consider the advances of modern medicine. @ColinCowherd explains: pic.twitter.com/TknDVHypzG
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 21, 2020
Watson was selected 12th in the 2017 NFL Draft. Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was selected second and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was selected tenth.
“The tape is very, very good,” said MMQB’s Albert Breer after Miami selected Tagovailoa. “When scouts came through [Alabama], Nick Saban and his whole staff would tell them that [Tua] is a left-handed version of Drew Brees. That’s what the Dolphins are getting here.”
The Dolphins selected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the 5th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft https://t.co/Z9TreTe21N pic.twitter.com/xXWFLIjv94
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 24, 2020
And according to reports, Miami was not scared off by Tagovailoa’s severe bumps and bruises.
The #Dolphins go with #Bama QB Tua Tagovailoa at No. 5. They didn’t tank, but they did take Tua. No issues with his physical and they felt confident in his recovery.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2020
Tua’s production at Alabama, injuries aside, outshined many of the top picks in recent memory.
I keep hearing about how Tua Tagovailoa is a “risky” NFL Draft pick. Anyway, here’s what happens if you take all the most efficient college football careers of all time and put them on one chart https://t.co/vkoJnseIRC pic.twitter.com/n5h2rN262g
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) April 20, 2020
Those numbers were bolstered significantly by Tagovailoa’s 2019 performance, which amounted to only nine games because of his hip injury.
Tua Tagovailoa’s 2019 passing chart is so impressive. Here’s his passing breakdown and rankings against 79 other prospects in my database. 1st in a handful of categories. He’s worth the health risk pic.twitter.com/g84LwLp3sa
— Ian Wharton (@NFLFilmStudy) April 21, 2020
While the pick was met with mostly cheers, a few jeers came from Skip Bayless.
Funny, there were rampant reports that the Dolphins tried to trade up for Burrow, so Tua was clearly their second choice. No way would I have risked the 5th overall pick on a QB injured so many times. “Hurt in college, hurt in the pros.”
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 24, 2020
On Wednesday, Shannon Sharpe suggested that Tagovailoa should actually go No. 1 to Cincinnati over LSU‘s Joe Burrow.
“[Tua has] the highest QBR since they started tracking the stat 15 years ago. That’s what his body of work is … His arm talent is undeniable.”
“I’m taking Tua No. 1, I believe he has an impressive, extensive portfolio. If the Chargers or Miami pass on this kid, they will make the same mistake that Chicago made, because you’re over thinking. Just put the tape on and let it speak for itself.”@ShannonSharpe pic.twitter.com/QYAwMksJT8
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) April 23, 2020
Still, Bayless believed that Tua’s college fragility was just too glaring to ignore.
“When you think about the injury history, I keep thinking … hurt in college, hurt in the pros.”
Tua has had so many injuries that at some point you have to term a player “brittle” or “fragile.” He has a knack for completing passes and getting hurt. More @Undisputed, now on FS1 https://t.co/o7YAEogtuT
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 21, 2020
Regardless, the Dolphins are all in on Tua Tagovailoa, and made it evident on Twitter.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) April 24, 2020
TUA! Welcome to Miami, @Tuaamann!
— Jakeem Grant (@_TheDreamIsHere) April 24, 2020
-Winning background
-Explosive
-Experienced pic.twitter.com/QiUBUpZMEV— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) April 24, 2020
We like ?#FinsUp x @Tuaamann pic.twitter.com/CF2qXNAks2
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) April 24, 2020
Congrats @Tuaamann , Welcome To Miami ‼️
— DeVante Parker (@DeVanteParker11) April 24, 2020
Miami got its man – and his name is @Tuaamann.
Or, as hip hop artist and Miami Dolphins fan Rick Ross would say, “Tua Taglavlioa.”
“Tua Tanggos;dlkfg …”
Rick Ross loves the new Dolphins QB, @Tuaamann ?
(via @RickRoss) pic.twitter.com/RQE6h45PxA
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 24, 2020
