Given that Burrow is the clear #1 Tua comes in as #1A. For starters, Tua has a deeper resume dating back to the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship in which he came off the bench in the 2nd half and led Bama to a stunning victory in OT over Georgia as a true freshman.
Tua is right up there with Burrow in terms of fundamentals and accuracy. He has repeatedly shown the ability to process defenses quickly and distribute the ball to his receivers. His great strengths are in the mental aspects of the game and his ability to handle pressure in the pocket and find a way to get the ball out. He rarely makes mental errors and is a great decision-maker. The most outstanding part of his game would certainly have to be the amount of force he generates when he throws the football, coming from his base on the ground and the torque of his body. This enables him to fit the ball into tight windows and push it down the field at will.
With all the good stuff that he has going for him it also is necessary to address the elephant in the room; the injuries. They are unquestionably important while evaluating a prospect but to a certain degree, at least in Tua’s case, they seem to be getting blown out of proportion. If a team out there thinks they can justify taking a quarterback not named Joe Burrow before Tua Tagovailoa it is very likely that they will come to regret it. With that said, Tua certainly needs to keep his injury history in mind and do his very best to protect his body. But, the very notion that his injury history makes it viable to take a guy like Justin Herbert over Tua is just absurd.
In a positive light, the injury can be seen as a blessing in disguise as it could possibly place him in a better situation than what Burrow may have to deal with in Cincinnati, giving him a better shot at immediate success in the league. But even with that said, it is most likely in his best interest for the team that drafts him to “redshirt” him and get him ready for the 2021 season.
Photo Credit: Pro Football Network
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