2020 NFL mock draft: Miami Dolphins select Tua Tagovailoa

The Miami Dolphins are one of the more talked about teams here in Detroit right now. One of the more attractive teams to trade down with for the Detroit Lions, Miami also has a coaching staff full of former Patriots, which could make a deal even more manageable for the two teams.

But in our Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, trades were not allowed. So Miami had to sit and wait patiently to see if their player would fall to them, and lo and behold, a quarterback named Tua Tagovailoa has fallen directly into their lap.

Will Dolphins interim GM popcornstadium make that choice, though? Let’s take a listen as they walk to the podium.

“The Dolphins spent the past year moving talented players for picks to make sure they’d be able to secure a franchise-altering talent in this draft. It’s not enough to just replace players Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, and Minkah Fitzpatrick with other talented rookies. They need to remake the franchise, and Tua Tagovailoa gives them a shot to do it.

Tua’s resume reads like a first overall pick: Five star recruit. National champion (with an MVP). NCAA career leader in QB rating. NCAA career leader in yards per attempt. None of that is surprising when you see him play. Tua’s a young quarterback capable of diagnosing coverage quickly, keeping the play alive long enough to let it develop, and delivering the ball precisely where it needs to be at any level. Though he doesn’t have the arm strength or footspeed of Justin Herbert, his touch and accuracy are enough to elevate him to another tier as a QB prospect. And when it comes to intangible leadership qualities, there’s no comparison. Tua has shown since his freshman year that he’s capable of rising to the challenge of a huge stage and bringing his coaches, teammates, and fans along with him. Those intangibles are the reason his hip injury last season was such a gut punch, even to the legions of NCAA football fans who despise the Alabama juggernaut. That kind of personal magnetism matters when you’re looking for a franchise quarterback.

Yes, there are injury concerns, but that’s why a player of his caliber is available at number five overall instead of being penciled in for the top slot. The Dolphins are in a perfect position to let Tua sit for a season, continue to build a young core, and unleash him onto the league in 2021 in a suddenly wide-open AFC East.”