2020 NFL Draft: Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa scouting report

Tua Tagovailoa is a top-flight quarterback surrounded by elite talent at the collegiate level. Is he ready to lead a struggling team on a big stage?

After a bold decision by Nick Saban in the national title game, a struggling Jalen Hurts was pulled in favor of a young, unproven recruit with the last name too long for many television announcers. Now, Tua Tagovailoa has become a household name, starting under center for the premiere collegiate football program in the nation.

Tua Tagovailoa has been touted as a top-flight prospect since his emergence, even though he is surrounded by some of the best talents in college football. This scouting report will break down into the same three areas that have been used to analyze both Joe Burrow (Burrow scouting report) and Jalen Hurts (Hurts scouting report):

• Mental: Ability to make reads, pocket presence, and awareness. This category judges the ability for a quarterback to manage the game and make the right decisions while keeping cool under pressure.
• Physical: Athleticism outside of the throwing arm. This will revolve around mobility, physical presence (within and outside the pocket), as well as any other outstanding attributes that become apparent.
• Arm Talent: Any and everything involved with the delivery of the football, primarily dealing with mechanics and tendencies throwing the football.

Through three games against competitive programs (South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M), Tagovailoa has gone 75-for-106 (70.8 percent completion rate) for 1155 yards (two of three games over 400 yards) and 15 touchdowns to 1 interception, with an average QBR of 95.2.

To clarify, Tua Tagovailoa is not a running quarterback, having no more than four attempts and eight yards on the ground. He is the quintessential prototype passer for the NFL. Enough mobility to extend plays shortly outside the pocket, but most of his talent is concentrated in his passing ability.