Why Tua Tagovailoa fell from the first overall pick in 2020?

Tua Tagovailoa was a true freshman with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2017. He spent his first year with the team as a backup to Jalen Hurts. Nevertheless, the quarterback got to play extensively due to a couple of resounding victories for the team.

Tagovailoa's college career took a new turn in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game. He was called upon to replace Jalen Hurts in the second quarter due to his largely ineffective plays. The decision paid off for the Crimson Tide.

He threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith, who was also a true freshman, in overtime to secure the game-winning score as the Crimson Tide emerged victorious over the Georgia Bulldogs. That secured him a starting berth for the following season.

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Tagovailoa's evaluation for the 2020 Draft

Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to a 14-1 record in the 2018 football season, throwing for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns. He immediately began to receive the attention of NFL scouts who were closely assessing his situation towards his draft declaration.

Prior to his season-ending injury, Tagovailoa was expected to be the first pick in the 2020 NFL draft by many analysts. However, after his injury, Joe Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner and quarterback for LSU, became the new top prospect for the draft.

The injury ended his 2019 season and his college career abruptly, as he eventually forgoed his senior year to enter the 2020 NFL Draft. Playing only nine games for Alabama in the 2019 season, he was still able to throw for 2,840 yards and 33 touchdowns.

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Selection in the Draft by Miami Dolphins

Arkansas v Alabama

Tagovailoa held multiple football records for Alabama and a notable NCAA career record at the end of his college career. These included passing yards per attempt (10.9), adjusted passing yards per attempt (12.7), a passing efficiency rating (199.4), and total yards per play (9.8).

However, his draft stock was affected by the devastating injury in November 2019, raising concerns about his level of fitness. Nonetheless, the Miami Dolphins drafted him as the fifth overall pick in 2020. He was viewed as a long-term successor to veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick.

He became the first left-handed quarterback to be drafted by an NFL team since Tim Tebow in 2010. Nonetheless, many analysts maintain that his season-ending injury in 2019 was the main reason why he was not selected as the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.