The Miami Dolphins select quarterback Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall
Since NFL hall of famer Dan Marino retired back in 1999, the Miami Dolphins have struggled to find a legitimate starting quarterback who can lead the franchise back to the glory days. Last year, the Dolphins traded away a second-round back to acquire Josh Rosen who only managed to make three starts before losing the job to 37-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick who ultimately made 13 starts for the Fins.
After finishing 5-11 last season, the Dolphins knew they needed to address their gaping hole at the quarterback position and opted to do so in this year’s NFL draft. With the fifth overall pick, the Dolphins were the second team to take a quarterback by selecting Tua Tagovailoa from Alabama. The left-hander has been compared to Drew Brees and will have the opportunity to make a name for himself with the Dolphins.
Miami were poor last year finishing dead last in the AFC East. However, they still managed to exceed most people’s expectations. They had the league’s 27th ranked total offense. The franchise is hoping that the selection of Tagovailoa will go a long way in alleviating some of the problems they had. Rosen and Fitzpatrick remain with the Dolphins but it will be interesting to see whether any one of the three come out of training camp as the definitive starter or not.
“I’ll say my kids are expecting him [to be ready], but we haven’t even seen him,” said Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores after the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday. “Our doctors haven’t seen him. We’re a long way to go before we can say who’s doing what. It’s way too early to speculate on this year and how this is going to go.”
Miami were busy on Thursday night with a total of three first-round draft picks – more than any other team in the league. The Dolphins also went on to select offensive tackle Austin Jackson from USC with the 18th overall pick and corner back Noah Igbinoghene out of Auburn with the 30th pick overall.
“I think at the end of the day, we want to bring good players onto this team who will work and compete,” Flores continued.
The Dolphins haven’t made the playoffs since 2016 and have only reached the postseason four times since Dan Marino retired 20 years ago. A losing culture that Flores is desperately trying to change in Miami.
Flores took over as head coach of the Dolphins last season after spending his entire career in the NFL with the New England Patriots where he won four Super Bowls. He held a variety of different positions with the Patriots, including Linebackers coach, Safeties coach and defensive assistant. He was showered with quite a bit of praise for his work during his first season in Miami and will be hoping to continue the re-building process with Tagovailoa at the helm.
It remains to be seen how the 22-year-old will adjust to life in the NFL, but the future certainly looks bright for the young quarterback.
