The Dolphins' front office has gotten busy this offseason, working to surround their young quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa with as many offensive weapons as possible. Guys like Tyreek Hill, Terron Armstead, Sony Michel, and Cedrick Wilson have bolstered the options that Tua will have to choose from, adding to Jaylen Waddle and Mike Gesicki. In years past, these big-name stars in the NFL have proven that they have got what it takes to propel the Dolphins to the next level in the 2022 season.
Tyreek Hill finished as the WR6 in the 2021 season, but we have to consider the change in quarterbacks with our prediction for his production in his new threads. In addition to Jaylen Waddle, who is coming off a record-breaking season for both rookie reception yards by a Dolphin (1,015) and receptions by a rookie in a single season (104), this dynamic duo should prove to be especially threatening to the defensive backs in the 2022 season. There is a lot to prove with this young, talented offense, and it all starts with Tua.
While Tua isn’t the flashiest quarterback available in this year’s fantasy draft, he still has a great upside and could show up at a valuable time in the draft depending on when the initial quarterback run begins in your draft. Tua had averaged about 15 projected fantasy points throughout last season and was able to put up bigger numbers against the lesser teams. But with Tua’s new weapons, there is no telling how high his ceiling could be. In a recent episode of Tyreek Hill’s podcast, the speedster claims that Tagovailoa’s accuracy is better than Patrick Mahomes’. While some might find this hard to digest, I believe that there could be a silver lining in this quote. Hill’s only exposure has been during the Dolphin’s OTA’s and potentially a few one-on-one matchups to show off Hill’s ability. This could mean that Tua is producing solid throws with reduced pressure. The best thing for the young quarterback to do would be to slow himself down and allow himself to use his raw ability to read the field and pinpoint the open man. Given that the media has begun to doubt Tua’s ability to be a productive quarterback in the NFL today, this season is a do-or-die opportunity for Tua to show fantasy owners that he is a valuable pick.
A concerning issue of Tua’s potential was his lack of time to read the field. The addition of Terron Armstead should improve Tua’s time in the pocket, and force defenses to halt the blitzing. After a short film study of the Dolphin’s offensive struggles from last season, the main issue observed was the lack of time for Tua to read the field. When comparing the lefty’s NFL film to his college film, the time difference that Tua has in the pocket is enough to change the league’s perspective on his raw ability. By bringing in a veteran stud like Terron Armstead from the Saints, there is an instant upgrade to the Dolphin’s offensive line. Giving Tua the time and opportunity to read the field and show off his accuracy is extremely crucial to his success this season. Armstead has the stats to back up the hype surrounding him in free agency. Within the last 8 seasons, he allowed a 0.6% sack rate and just a 3.7% pressure rate. Alongside the phenomenal sack rate, the tackle also allowed a mere 1.36 QB pressures per game in his last four seasons. These numbers are incredibly impressive for the statistically sound tackle and will do the Dolphins a huge favor in the following seasons to come.
When you consider the addition of HC Mike McDaniel, there is a good chance he makes things a lot easier for Tua and doesn’t put it all on his shoulders. The offense takes a step forward from that decision alone, as McDaniel is one of the league’s best young offensive minds, coming from the Kyle Shanahan tree.
Last season, Tua was often drafted towards the back half of the draft, starting the season as QB20, and I expect him to remain in this position in the upcoming season. For single QB leagues, there is a great opportunity for Tua to be a solid rotational quarterback and can be utilized when the Dolphins have easier matchups. Despite being a part of one of the more difficult divisions in the league, there is a lot of positive light surrounding this year’s edition of the Miami Dolphins.
With a multitude of opportunities that have been acquired this offseason by the Miami front office, there is obviously some faith that still resides within Tua. The possibilities are seemingly endless for Tagovailoa in the 2022 season, will you be picking him up in your fantasy drafts this year?