Dolphins land Tagovailoa at No. 5

Dolphins draft Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa

Alain Poupart | Apr 23, 2020

It didn't necessarily come about the way it was expected, but the Dolphins ended up with Tua after all.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from the University of Alabama will become a member of the Miami Dolphins after they made him the fifth overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft.

After weeks of speculation that the Dolphins were debating between Tagovailoa and Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert or might not even take a quarterback early in the first round, the Dolphins made the pick after no trades were consummated in the first four picks.

After Joe Burrow went to Cincinnati, Chase Young to Washington, Jeff Okudah to Detroit and Andrew Thomas to the Giants, the Dolphins made Tagovailoa the fourth quarterback they've taken in the first round of the common draft.

Tagovailoa follows Bob Griese in 1967, Dan Marino in 1983 and most recently Ryan Tannehill in 2012.

The left-handed Tagovailoa put up ridiculous numbers at Alabama but also dealt with a variety of injuries that cast some doubt over his draft prospects.

Tagovailoa has been compared to longtime Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who ironically was linked to this selection.

It was in 2006 that the Dolphins considered signing Brees as a free agent but instead made a trade for Vikings starter Daunte Culpepper because of long-term concerns about Brees' right shoulder.

There was a question in this draft as to whether the Dolphins would take the chance on Tua, and they answered that question around 9 p.m. Eastern time.

It's Tua time in Miami.

Published Apr 23, 2020

ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.