Tua Tagovailoa is Going to Turn the Dolphins Around Whenever He's Ready to Start
The Miami Dolphins did not make a blockbuster trade on Thursday because they did not have to. The team drafted Tua Tagovailoa at No. 5 overall after years of anticipation, and Dolphins fans should be ecstatic.
The former Alabama quarterback was easily the top quarterback in the class before suffering a brutal hip injury that ended his 2019 season. The 22-year-old has seemingly shown enough in his medicals and his workouts to inspire confidence in his ability to be great in the NFL.
It's Tua time in Miami ⌚️
— ESPN (@espn) April 24, 2020
The Dolphins select Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in the #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/UoJguMQcb9
Even if it takes some time to knock the rust off, you cannot argue with capitalizing on the opportunity.
The Dolphins have been looking for a new franchise quarterback since the day Dan Marino last stepped off the field. The team has used 21 starters since Marino, and have taken Tua to be the next Marino, or even better. He is now in a position to turn the franchise around, and it is hard to see him failing at this point, given his health checks out. Very much worth the pick at No. 5.
The Miami Dolphins have started 21 quarterbacks since Dan Marino retired 20 years ago, and during that time they’ve won one playoff game — in 2000. Maybe they should use their top pick on a QB more often. https://t.co/JYLNnIJ0mi
— Florida Daily Post (@FLDailyPost) April 17, 2020
The best part about the selection is that Tagovailoa can get a redshirt year in 2020 if needed. Miami is still rebuilding, and can use Ryan Fitzpatrick as the transition quarterback until the rookie is ready. But when Tua is ready to go, there is no reason to believe he will fail. Dolphins fans may have been upset when the team actually won enough to end up with the No. 5 pick. Landing, arguably, the best quarterback in the class is more than a consolation. It is an overwhelming victory for a quarterback-starved franchise.