2020 NFL Power Rankings: Cowboys defense has hopes high

The Miami Dolphins fall from 25 to 30

The collegiate stat line for Tua Tagovailoa was unreal. The Alabama quarterback completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 7,442 yards with 87 touchdowns and just 11 picks. The problem is, he struggled to stay on the field.

As a freshman he played in just eight games and then in 2019, he played in nine. While he did show up for all 15 games in between but was banged up at times in that season as well. In the end, that means he played more than nine games in just one of three seasons for the Crimson Tide and is coming off a serious hip injury.

For that reason, the Miami Dolphins are expected to be cautious with him. There’s no denying he has the talent to succeed as he’s smart, strong, and accurate with the ball. However, he’s also joining a team with arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL and a patch-work running game. Not to mention, the wide receiver corps took a major hit when Albert Wilson opted out of the season.

The best bet for head coach Brian Flores will be to start Ryan Fitzpatrick this season and continue to build around Tua before throwing him to the wolves. In all honestly, playing the rookie is always the best way to get him the reps he needs but in this situation, there’s a legitimate case to be made for protecting him since he’s still so fresh off his latest injury as well as the subpar roster around him.