QB Tua Tagovailoa

Alabama Crimson Tide #13 player, Tua Tagovailoa is a quality quarterback. At a height of 6'1" and a weight of 218lbs, this superstar-in-the-making is ready to take the NFL by storm. In 2019, he season stats indicated he managed 2,840 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. While certainly not masterclass level, he has the makings of an NFL champion.

To fully appreciate his potential value for the NFL, in his case the Miami Dolphins,  it's worth reflecting on his performances since 2017, when he exploded onto the scene:

* 2017 – 49 completions, 77 passing attempts, 63.6% completion percentage.
636 passing yards, 8.3 average yards per attempt, 11 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and a 60 yard longest pass.
* 2018 – 249 completions, 355 passing attempts, 69.0% completion percentage.
3,966 passing yards, 11.2 average yards per attempt, 43 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and an 81 yard longest pass.
* 2019 – 180 completions, 252 passing attempts, 71.4% completion percentage.
2,840 passing yards, 11.3 average yards per attempt, 33 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and an 85 yard longest pass.

Is Tua a QB For All Seasons?

Tua Tagovailoa is hugely popular as a quarterback who performs in pressure-cooker situations. Equally effective in a spread as he is with RPO-power attacks, he is adept at making plays, and getting results for his team. Experts note that he is laser focused with his bullet passes, and his rollouts are sublime.

Sure, there are plenty of quarterbacks snapping at his heels, but his is a pedigree that is the envy of his competitors.

For all his strengths, the are some troubling elements to consider too. Tua has already had multiple ankle surgeries and hip surgery. This is particularly alarming to teams that are thinking of keeping him long-term (the Miami Dolphins signed for a year).

He is generally regarded as a better prospect than Justin Herbert – at least that's the opinion of the Buccaneers general manager, Mark Dominik. The concerns relate to his ability to perform over time, given his extensive hip injuries.

Questions Linger About Tua’s Shelf Life

Whether or not Tua will be around in the next couple years remains to be seen, but his explosive ability upfront will certainly hold him in good stead for the post-draft season. As soon as the NFL gets back into full swing, with Tua Tagovailoa on board, it's certainly going to exciting times.

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Many teams have made dreadful mistakes by passing on a prospect simply because the doctors advised against it. Drew Brees is one such example. When the Miami Dolphins decided to pass up on him 14 years ago, the New Orleans Saints rewrote history with his stellar performances.

Nonetheless, there are proponents and opponents of Tua Tagovailoa. This Samoan-born, Pacific Islander from Hawaii has his fair share of detractors too. Gil Brandt, the erstwhile Dallas Cowboys GM believes that Justin Herbert is a much better prospect than Tua Tagovailoa.

He believes that Herbert is the better pick for a variety of reasons, notably his versatility on the field, and his ability to work with receivers. Nobody knows quite how long Tua can last out there on the professional field of play with gridiron. He certainly doesn't have the best medical history, with broken bones, concussions, hip surgeries, and the like.

Tua Must Be Ready to Take Huge Hits in the NFL

When you get hit on the NFL stage, it's like a 10-ton truck steamrolling you at breakneck speed. Can Tua withstand the intensity of that sort of action? No doubt that analysts behind-the-scenes are poring over the data, using all sorts of projection models to gauge just how useful he may be given all the injuries he has already sustained in his college career.

For those who prefer Justin Herbert, and that's plenty of sports books by the way – the Oregon quarterback lead Tua by a slim margin going into the 2020 Draft.

At the end of April, oddsmakers had Tua as a favorite for the second QB draft, and Justin Herbert as the underdog. The playing fields have been leveled for both of these guys, and the NFL Draft will likely see both of them picked, despite the November 2019 hip injury that Tua suffered.

Sure, Tua’s health remains in question, but he's hugely talented and he may just be able to pull a rabbit out of the head moving forward.

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*Image courtesy of John Raox and AP