The Alabama Crimson Tide have been THE elite college football program over the last several years. They continue to recruit the best talent around the country and refine their skills before sending them to the NFL. The first player expected to be drafted from Alabama in the 2020 NFL Draft is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Tua was the frontrunner to be the Heisman Trophy winner and the top overall draft pick for the majority of the college football season. Unfortunately, the talented quarterback suffered a dislocated hip and fracture, ending his college career early. This injury is the only big knock to Tua’s resume, but it is holding some teams back from having interest in him.
Let’s take a look at the full Tua Tagovailoa draft profile ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, set to begin on tonight, Thursday, April 23.
Tua Tagovailoa Draft Profile
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
| Height: 6’0″ | Weight: 217 lbs |
| DOB: 3/2/1998 (22) | Class: Junior |
| Hometown: Ewa Beach, HI | Hand Size: 10″ |
Tua Tagovailoa Combine Results
| 40-Yard Dash | — | Seconds |
| Bench Press | — | Reps |
| Vertical Jump | — | Inches |
| Broad Jump | — | Inches |
| 3-Cone Drill | — | Seconds |
| 20-Yard Shuffle | — | Seconds |
| 40-Yard Shuffle | — | Seconds |
Tua Tagovailoa Injury History
Tua played three seasons for Alabama, with two being the starter. During this stretch, he suffered five notable injuries:
- Broken left index finger (March 2018; no games missed)
- Sprained right knee (October 2018; no games missed)
- Left high ankle sprain (December 2018; surgery; no games missed)
- Right high ankle sprain (October 2019; surgery; 1 game missed)
- Dislocated right hip with posterior acetabular wall fracture (November 2019; surgery; missed final 3.5 games)
Tua Tagovailoa Expert Analysis
Strengths
“He’s an elite passer with rare intangibles, short area quickness and accuracy. Tagovailoa has never met a stage that was too big, either.” — Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network
“When healthy, Tagovailoa is a special passer with awesome touch, accuracy, field vision and mobility.” — Matt Miller, Bleacher Report
Weaknesses
“Delivery features a slight hitch. Base will occasionally narrow and impact his release point. Has some intermittent issues staying on top of the ball on quick outs.” — Joe Marino, The Draft Network
“He needs better poise when pressured…Teams assessing his draft value will need to sift through mounting durability concerns and decide whether he is a “face of the franchise” talent without the abundance of talent surrounding him.” — Lance Zierlein, NFL Network
Tua Tagovailoa Draft Projections
Mel Kiper, ESPN: Dolphins (No. 5)
“The Dolphins have three first-round picks and two second-round picks, but their best-case scenario is to stay put, get their quarterback of the future and pick up starters on Day 1 and Day 2 of the draft.”
Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire: Dolphins (No. 5)
“All signs point to Tagovailoa’s hip situation as a positive over time, and if he plays up to his potential, the once-tanking Dolphins suddenly become pretty interesting.”
Will Brinson, CBS: Redskins (No. 2)
“In our CBS Sports HQ mock draft I had Tua going to Washington, so I’m going to ride it out here. Dan Snyder empowered Ron Rivera to win in Washington and Rivera needs to get his guy. He can give Dwayne Haskins/Kyle Allen a year to see what they have if need be and then go to Tua the following year or worst case just trade Tua.”
Matt Miller, Bleacher Report: Dolphins (No. 5)
“It’s time for the Dolphins to draft a quarterback, and general manager Chris Grier has the team in perfect position to move up if needed to get its man.”
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