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In spite of some deliberation, the Miami Dolphins did, in fact, end up taking University of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
So all of that talk about the Dolphins likely passing on Tagovailoa (and possibly a quarterback altogether) for nothing.
Here are three bold predictions for Tagovailoa in his rookie campaign in South Beach:
3. He will start all 16 games
I find it hard to believe that Miami will go with Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh Rosen for any of the club's 16 games in 2020.
Barring an injury, Tua Tagovailoa probably will—and should—start every game for the Dolphins next season.
Unlike 2019, where Miami went into the year with a junior varsity squad, the Dolphins actually look halfway decent this time around, which means Brian Flores can throw Tagovailoa out there without worrying him having to fend for himself.
Tagovailoa might struggle at certain points, just like any other rookie quarterback, and Miami does need to take care not to wreck his confidence, but let's face it: Tua is the future of the Dolphins.
This isn't like last season when Miami brought in Rosen as an experiment. Tagovailoa is the real deal, and he will be treated as such. Again, unless he gets hurt, Tagovailoa should be under center for all 16 contests.
2. He will develop a terrific connection with DeVante Parker
Tua Tagovailoa is just a rookie, so he is going to need to lean a whole lot on his receiving corps to help him out.
The Dolphins don't have a ton of depth at wide receiver, which is something they will probably address at some point in the remainder of the draft.
However, they do have a really solid wide out in DeVante Parker.
Parker, a former first-round pick of Miami's back in 2015, is coming off of a very nice 2019 campaign in which he hauled in 72 receptions for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns.
Prior to this past season, Parker had never even totaled 800 yards in a single year, so 2019 obviously represented a breakout campaign for him.
Look for Tua Tagovailoa to rely on Parker a lot in 2020. At 6-foot-3 with solid speed and great hands, Parker is everything Tua could want in a No. 1 receiver in his first season.
Don't be surprised to see these two form a rather lethal connection in Year 1.
1. He will give the Dolphins hope
Hope is something the Dolphins haven't had a whole lot of for the better part of the last two decades.
Since 2002, Miami has made just a pair of playoff appearances, losing in the Wild Card Round both times. Going back even further, the Dolphins have not won a postseason game since the 2000-01 campaign.
That's a lot of ineptitude.
A big reason for Miami's struggles over the last 20 years is because it hasn't really had a quarterback. Jay Fielder. Chad Henne. Matt Moore. Pre-Tennessee Ryan Tannehill. You get the picture.
For the first time, the Dolphins may have a legitimately good signal-caller in the fold, and it shouldn't take Tua Tagovailoa long to show Miami fans that there is reason to be hopeful for the future.
