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Exciting times are on the horizon for the Miami Dolphins.
Brian Flores' team went 9-8 in 2021, its second consecutive season with a winning record, and made league-wide headlines in March with a blockbuster trade for superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins landed the six-time Pro Bowler in exchange for dive draft picks between 2022 and 2023, confident he will help take their offense a whole new level.
Hill's addition is certainly a win-now move for the Dolphins. He is set to form a dynamic wide receiver duo alongside Jaylen Waddle. The former Alabama star recorded ,1015 yards receiving and six touchdowns in his rookie season. Mike Gesicki is also sure to play a role for Miami and has become a reliable receiver in the passing game. Waddle and Hill are two dangerous weapons, but whether they can be maximized remains to be seen.
While Hill garnered most of the offseason attention, Tua Tagovailoa is the X-factor the Dolphins will be counting on in 2022.
Dolphins' X-factor: Tua Tagovailoa
When Miami selected Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, the expectation was that he would be a franchise quarterback. Now two seasons into his NFL career, it is unclear if he possesses that type of potential.
The Alabama product started 12 games for the Dolphins last season, competing 67.8% of his throws for 2,653 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He had some bright flashes at times, but needs to do more to solidify his long-term role.
The addition of Hill puts a great deal of pressure on Tagovailoa to step up to the plate. The Dolphins have done an excellent job building up a successful team around the young quarterback, and can't wait forever for him to develop. There are some notable concerns with Tagavailoa's all-around ability and style of play that must be addressed moving forward.
Tyreek Hill played just 3 snaps in the preseason, but in his first, he caught a 51-yard deep ball from Tua Tagovailoa.
A reminder of what the Patriots must contend with in Sunday’s season opener. pic.twitter.com/n2W4lzeV7B
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 5, 2022
One area that needs improvement is his ability to throw the deep ball.
Last season, Tagavailoa's 6.9 air yards per attempt ranked 31st in the NFL, and he was also 30th in the league with just 28 deep ball attempts. If defense of those poor numbers comes down to a lack of weapons, that will no longer be the case.
Hill stretches the field as much as any receiver in NFL history, but the lefty quarterback must prove he is capable of getting him the ball. If Tagavailoa prove he can push the ball down the field, defenses will be sure to crowd the box. His arm strength will be put to the test early on this season, and could be the factor that makes or breaks his tenure as Miami's starting signal-caller.
Another area where Tagovailoa could use improvement is with his legs. The perception of him in college and his early progression into the NFL was that he would be a true dual-threat QB. It has become clear Tagavailoa will not play that role, with just 78 rushes for 237 yards across two seasons with the Dolphins. The longest rush of his career is just 23 yards.
While there is an argument to be made that Tagavailoa was always miscast as a runner, he still must show some growth in that area. A quarterback who lacks arm strength and cannot threaten the field with his legs is a tough player to build around in the modern NFL. If Tagovailoa fails to make tangible progress in 2022, it would not bode well for his NFL future.
The Dolphins are set to level up this season regardless, but will ultimately go only as far as their quarterback takes them. With the Buffalo Bills considered Super Bowl favorites and the new England Patriots' continued growth, the race in the AFC East is set to be tight. The expansion of the playoff format has opened the door for Miami to grab a Wild Card berth, but doing so will not be easy.
The Dolphins are extremely reliant this season on the steps forward Tagavailoa needs to take. All eyes are sure to be on the 24-year-old QB in 2022, and it will be up to him to deliver.
