2020 NFL Draft: Scouting Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa may be coveted as a consensus top selection in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, but his game may not be as flawless as some make it seem.

After his magical performance in relief of Jalen Hurts in the 2018 National Championship Game, Tua Tagovailoa has been the talk of college football.

The one thing Nick Saban’s Alabama teams always lacked was elite QB play, and that seemingly changed with Tua at the helm. He captivated the fans in Tuscaloosa with his quick release and athletic playmaking. while also continuing Alabama’s winning ways. Tua is now entering the 2020 NFL Draft after an injury cut short his junior season, and it will be interesting to see how his playstyle translates to the pro game.

Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 218 pounds
Year: Junior

In-Depth Breakdown

Accuracy: Tua is consistently a fairly accurate quarterback. On shorter distance throws Tua does a good job of placing the ball so that his receiver can always get yards after the catch. His deep ball is a thing of beauty and can be argued as the best in the class.

The area Tua is lacking is in his mid-distance throws. His anticipation is off in this area, and he routinely misses out in front of his receiver. When throwing to the sideline at this distance, he often misses to the outside of his receiver, and the ball can end up sailing out of bounds.

The benefit of playing at Alabama is that he is surrounded by a plethora of top-flight wide receivers, which can mask some occasional accuracy issues. It will be interesting to see him at the next level be forced to throw into might tighter windows.

His touch on the football can also be inconsistent, and that can cause obvious miscommunication between him and his target. With all of that being said, his fluid hips and solid arm will allow him to be plugged into a multitude of offenses at the next level. Overall, accuracy is definitely one of the best aspects of Tua’s game.

Progressions and decision making: The Alabama offense was designed so that Tua didn’t have to think much when going through his progressions. When the play was developed for him, Tua more times than not made the right decision. The issue is, he can lack the ability to find the receiver that will net the most yardage on a certain play.

On every play as a quarterback, you should be trying to move the chains as most as possible. It feels like Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t always survey the field enough to find the receiver who would do this. The longer the play takes to develop, the worse the decisions Tua makes. He needs to work on not panicking when the originally designed play isn’t there. He’s by no means a poor decision-maker but doesn’t always make the best decisions.

Pocket Presence

This is easily Tua’s weakness. He clearly struggles to feel pressure, and you can see the panic in his play when he does sense it around him. For starters, his footwork deteriorates, and he gets far too “jumpy”.

His footwork affects his hips, and he tends not to flip them when the pockets not clean. That, in part, hurts his accuracy in these situations. He will either miss completely, low and away or be susceptible to getting easily bated by the defense. When under duress, he is just a shell of himself.

When flushed out of the pocket, he is not particularly great at throwing on the run. For someone as mobile as Tua, this is a bit of a letdown. While on the run he needs to work on pointing his feet at his intended target, and not exaggerating the torque he puts on his arm while throwing.

Throw Accuracy Short: 9/10

Throw Accuracy Mid-Distance: 7.25/10

Throw Accuracy Deep: 9/10

Throw Power: 7/8

Throw on the Run: 5.5/8

It Factor: 7/8

Ceiling: 8.5/10

Progressions: 7.5/12

Ball Placement: 8/12

Decision Making: 7.5/10

Injury Risk: 2/4

Pocket Presence: 5.5/8

Final Film Grade: 78.2 (QB3)

There’s a lot to like with Tua Tagovailoa. His explosive playmaking ability, his accuracy in a clean pocket- it’s eye-popping. It’s understandable why fans and scouts alike would be enamored by him, and shower him with such high praise. The issue is, the tape shows some significant flaws in his game that could be a major issue at the next level.

I think Tua’s success early on depends on how much responsibility is given by the team that drafts him. The best-case scenario would be for him` would be a zone run-heavy offense, which allows for a lethal quick passing attack. Teams such as the 49ers perfect this, but a lot of teams have begun to adopt this style of play as well.

I personally see the upside with Tua. If I were a GM in the 2020 NFL Draft, I would take Tua in the mid-first if he was still available, and allow him to develop for a year- similar to what the Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes.

The final issue with Tua is, of course, his durability. The NFL will only be more brutal than the collegiate game, so it’s concerning that he wasn’t really healthy for a long period of time in Alabama. He needs to bulk up and gain at least a healthy 15 pounds at the next level.

Tua Tagovailoa may be talented and can be a solid quarterback in this league, but as of now is a step behind the top two quarterbacks of this class in Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert. For those who claim he is one of the best quarterback prospects in a decade, the film tells me that’s an utter fabrication.