Fantasy Football: Top 3 rookie quarterbacks for 2020 season
By Drew DeLuca
2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
Height: 6-0
Weight: 217 pounds
Projected 40-yard dash time (per WalterFootball.com): 4.70 seconds
Tua Tagovailoa’s season ended abruptly due to a frightening hip injury, one that was initially feared to be career-threatening. That nightmare thankfully didn’t last long, as a prognosis for a full recovery brought about a sigh of relief; he’s on target for medical clearance on March 9.
The Alabama standout won’t be healthy enough to showcase his skills at this week’s combine, so medical red flags understandably persist, despite recent reports indicating that he’ll be ready for his pro day. Tagovailoa should benefit from the more controlled, scripted setting of a pro day, one that will showcase his capabilities at that point in his recovery, just two weeks before the NFL Draft.
Before the injury, Tua completed an impressive 71.4 percent of his passes this past season. Additionally, all noteworthy statistical splits show a positive progression throughout his three-year career at Alabama.
While Tagovailoa hasn’t taken over a game with his legs in some time, he is certainly elusive enough to excel in the NFL. His command of the passing attack, meanwhile, is exceptional: the native of Ewa Beach, HI had an even better TD-INT Ratio (11.0) than Burrow (10.0).
Tua has shorter than ideal height, yet has been favorably compared to Russell Wilson by NFL Network’s Brian Billick. He is an exceptional touch passer with sufficient arm strength, and he moves very well in and out of the pocket. Barring setbacks, expect him to be a Week 1 starter, wherever he lands.
Likely Landing Spots: Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers