Tua to Miami
» Dolphins grab talented but injury-prone Alabama QB at No. 5.
The Miami Dolphins did not have to “Tank for Tua” after all.
The Dolphins selected Tua Tagovailoa, the talented Alabama quarterback with injury and durability concerns, with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft Thursday night.
The Dolphins, led by general manager Chris Grier and coach Brian Flores, often calculated and risk adverse, are taking a chance on Tagovailoa to be the franchise quarterback and lead Miami out of it rebuild.
Tagovailoa has a charisma that could captivate South Florida sports fans just like Dwyane Wade and Dan Marino have in the region for the past 37 years.
Tagovailoa has the talent, as one of college football’s most exciting players the past few years, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes for 87 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions.
He led Alabama to a national title as a freshman after coming off the bench in the second half. He then helped them reach the title game against Clemson as a sophomore.
And he was primed to be the No. 1 pick and help the Crimson Tide make another deep playoff run last year until a season-ending hip injury ended his college career.
Tagovailoa’s injury — a hip dislocation and posterior wall fracture suffered in November — makes him perhaps the riskiest draft pick in recent NFL history.
“For me and my family, whoever decided to take a chance on us, that’s where I belonged,” Tagovailoa said. “My biggest thing is I’m trying to prove this was the right decision.”
Tagovailoa also suffered a left-hand injury, and high ankle sprains his doctors at Alabama believed would benefit from tight-rope procedures to expediate the healing process.
Doctors cleared Tagovailoa last month to run and begin football activities, and he expects to be healthy for his rookie season.
“What makes me confident in being able to play is what the doctors have told me,” Tagovailoa said. “As far as rehab, as far as the medical rechecks, I’ve checked off all the boxes. So I’ve been really encouraged that I’m able to play if need be.”
Tagovailoa was available with the fifth pick, allowing the Dolphins to stand pat and not make a trade into the top three of the draft to land their quarterback or one of the top available offensive tackles although such maneuvers were considered.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first pick.
Washington took Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young second overall.
The Detroit Lions, despite reportedly listening to trade offers, drafted Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah with the third selection, and the New York Giants took Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas with the fourth pick.
Tagovailoa was the first of three first-round picks by the Dolphins when the draft began.
On Friday, the Dolphins will make picks at Nos. 39 and 56 in the second round and No. 70 in the third round.
Saturday’s final day of the draft, which features rounds four through seven, will see Miami have one fourth-round pick (No. 141), three fifth-round picks (Nos. 153, 154 and 173), one sixthround pick (No. 185) and three picks in the seventh round (Nos. 227, 246 and 251).
The Dolphins entered the 2020 draft with 14 picks as a result of their extensive rebuild under Grier and Flores.
Miami traded away former first-round picks Laremy Tunsil and Minkah Fitzpatrick at the beginning of the 2019 season for a bounty of future draft assets to aid their endeavor, and positioned the roster with younger, cheaper players with upside to uncover.
The Dolphins’ roster moves left some believing the team was aiming its efforts to tanking for the best possible draft pick. And the “Tank for Tua” mantra, highlighting Tagovailoa’s talent and presumption he could have been the top pick before his injury took him out of those projections.